IBeaveE The Beaver is printed on !')()% rocj'dMi paper. Please n^ycie your copy. fOQPAMlNKlNG/.My Pjd Dutch FILM oiiline.co.1 30 January 2007 Issue The newspaper of the LSESU ^ lie Media Issue; Covering conflict ly Bhanm crash i^SM W w %^(ancdled libnuy sex "British society is dripping with racism" iLSE academic speaks out in ught of big brother row I 'svhite people...know how to mete it out, but they don't know what it is" Rajan Patel Senior Reporter In the wake of the Big Brother racism row and renewed debate of Britain's level of racial awareness, LSE academic Martin Jacques has said that "British society is dripping in racism, but no one is prepared to admit it." Jacques, a visiting fellow of the LSE's Asia Research Centre, said in The Guardian newspaper that British society still fails to comprehend what constitutes racism and the effect it has on those that are subject to it. In response to media claims that fears of racism may discourage Indian students from seeking places at UK universities, the Anti-Racism officer for the LSE Students' Union (SU), Shanela Haque, said, "LSE has an extremely vibrant, tolerant and extremely diverse student population. People from all backgrounds enjoy studying here so I very much hope that recent events do not discourage Indian students from coming here." Over the past week, the LSE SU's India Week staged numerous events to raise awareness of Indian culture and India's growing importance in a globalised world. Commenting on Jacques' article, Om Dhimiatkar, a member of LSE's India Society, agreed that "there is an underlying degree of racism within British society". "I believe that a number of cultural assumptions are being made and these assumptions are broadcast onto entire nationalities and types of people. The whole Shilpa Shetty row has gone to prove that racism is not just about colour and needs to be redefined." Speaking to The Beaver, Jacques explained how his marriage to an Indian-Malaysian woman and their life together had helped to determine his position on racism. "My education came through meeting my wife and seeing my own country through her eyes," he said. "It is clearly unacceptable to say that you are racist, whereas once it was not," he noted. Despite this, he believed that there has not been an equivalent shift in the underlying attitudes of white Britons, principally because "white people virtually never experience racism. They know how to mete it out, but they don't know what it is." Jacques also argued that Britain's colonial past and its historical position at the "top of the global pile" had fostered deep-rooted sentiments of racial superiority and insensi-tivity to different cultures in white Britons. His article prompted lengthy discussion and, in some cases, bitter argument on Guardian online mes-sage-boards, with the majority of white British respondents clearly hostile to his statements. Feature on Racism: Page 1.5 Editorial Comment: Page 9 Euaene I utz qe Tii Real mem tbe internet VcKiyat oomehadc Indiasioim LSE Catering in wage dispute Fatima Manji K3c everal catering staff at .the LSE have expressed ' discontent over a pay decision that has led to the withdrawal of part of their wages. The staff, who are all directly employed by the School as part of LSE Catering service, are unhappy with the way in which overtime pay has been recently suspended, due to £400 the Human Resource Department's Higher Education Role Analysis (HERA) process. HERA aims to standardise jobs across the School ensuring all staff of a certain rank have similar pay and work conditions. Under the system, catering staff have seen a pay increase and a reduction in working hours from 37.5 hours to 35 hours a week. As the system was implemented a The first snowflakes fall at the LSE Sports: Australian Open 02 leaver 130 January 2007 NEWS Academic txwcott of Israel faces opposition; ;, Luitfers iiToimd High Holi»m HIGHER EDUCATION NEWS nienMiiS HIGHER rixxATfUN 5i;m£ML.vr Alarm at rating website Universities seek legal counsel over student advice site that presents 'skewed' data. Claire Sanders writes Named university departments have been described as "rubbish" and "shocking", with students advised to avoid them, in a website set up by academics. EducationGiiardian Ethnic minority students less likely to get first de^ees, study finds UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD ttieox&rdstudent Intimidation, intri^e and spin: the nigh price of Rebel accused Oxford's embattled Vice-Chancellor John Hood of foul play as a crucial vote towards plans to end 800 years of academic independence went narrowly in his favour. Opponents of the highly controversial reforms claim that reasoned argument gave way to intimidation and intrigue as Hood's supporters fought to force through the proposals. UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Black and Asian students are less likely than their white counterparts to get a first-class degree, putting them at a disadvantage in the job market, a new report warns. A study by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) found that those least likely to attain firsts were black Caribbean, black African and Chinese students. Outrage as Portuguese is pulled The University's decision to suspend the Portugese Tripos from next year onwards has provoked indignation on an international scale. Diplomatic discussions with the University will begin today, Portugese Ambassador Antonio Santana Carlos told Varsity. it ibrTim'dodge; Estonian Prime Minister met protestors THIS WEEK IN Students' has 'hit oat at clain^ made by The Sunday Telegraph this veek dubbing the Xoodem Scb*>oi of Extremists^ and aarusinjj the School of having harboured a terror Ino". Ihe newspaper's allegations aaujdy reier to past fundaincji-talast activnties at LSE Accordiag to an "int^ligenc^ ifport' the I^K has been host to St least thre« aI-Qald»' linked terrorists'*, inciudlTig Ahnsed Ocoar Sheikh who has been liaSced lo last week's in Calcutta and is ffften laid to be one of the key fiaacciers of Mohammed Atta, the of one of the planes that hit the World litide Cemter while in his seeocd year there, he wenx to Bon^ on an aid and to an cxtreooe form ol biam'. LSE arj^ues that b>' that haae he had long, left tbecolle^. "Be Wt before the end of his :^«ar without coinpletmg a comments an ^pokoperson. has had no fesTther ccmtact with him sttXPt hedrq^)ed oQt of his course." Photograph: Liam Chambers 2002 The Beaver LSE students: Terrorists, or just a bunch of bankers? LM. iravw eooJjjJeniMii suiwncr h«*w« m i oxrawi Boxes of bittbly ccmfttku-tial oifiaal I'oU-cruty of I.oihIob Kxatoination f\»*wer •»»! SapplcmenUry Answer B citnitiin'mfi th« »»*wer booklets, were di^covrred un a mnmiiig and w«rc nut removed until the Jftllowiug day. The inapUctttiou* of this adminUtrative debatle are dcv-astatittg lo tcrw> exam mh w-lit)- and prrtr»iw»n of chrali*vfi. The oCTMwd ULU b«»kl«ls are the ooly documfftl's pcrmif-ted i» examii»MlHin* - with th« exceptioo »t h. Aa enlcrjMisinfi stwd^nt. upon di^rov«ri»i: the boxe*, c«*»ld ett«i!>' tnrmuiate a pirin iu en>ure maxmmm m«-»rks; were iinincd bj (raoduiewt means in the swmmer eKiwoi, with luini-mnl mk. The Beaver is now available online at www.thebeaveronline.co.iik: NEWS IN BRIEF Schroder visits School Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroder will be opening the 2007 German Symposium at LSE on Monday 5 February, it was announced this week. The event is being organized by the LSE Students' Union (SU) German Society, one of the School's largest societies with approximately 350 members. The five-day lecture series will take place from Monday 5 to Friday 9 of February, and Schroder will be delivering the keynote address with a lecture entitled Prospects for Peaceful Development in a Globalised World. It will be the Symposium's fifth anniversary, and other speakers will include Otto Schily, former federal minister of the interior, Guido Westerwelle, head of Germany's Liberal Party, Otto Graf Lambsdorff, former minister of the economy, and CEO of Lufthansa Wolfgang Mayrhuber. Tickets for Schroder's address will be available from 10am Monday 29 January. Malaysian PM at ceremony Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi visited the LSE last Tuesday morning to attend a ceremony in which a £50,000 donation was presented to the LSE for the construction of a Malaysia Room in the New Academic Building. The president of the LSE Alumni Society of Malaysia Dato Dr Munir Majid presented a cheque to LSE director Howard Davies. Dr Majid said that he was "extremely please and honoured" that the Prime Minister attended, and also expressed pleasure that over 90 Malaysian LSE students attended the ceremony. Davies said: "I am delighted that there will be a room in our new building named to mark the longstanding links between Malaysia and the LSE." Sahara survey Dr. Gerry Power, a guest lecturer at the LSE in the Media and Communications Department, led a team of researchers to conduct a survey of the media in sub-Saharan Africa that was recently published by the BBC World Service Trust. The survey was conducted for the African Media Development Initiative (AMDI) and found that radio and print media had proliferated throughout sub-Saharan Africa in the last five years. Barriers to media development in the region continue to exist in the form of government control of the media, and insufficient training and funding. The survey found that the media could be invaluable to development and governance of the African continent. It is considered one of the most comprehensive media surveys evfer' conducted in '^ub-Sahar'an Africa.' ' - NEWS leaver I 30 January 2007 03 Bhangm Crush cancefled ISikh Punjab Society says the actions of the LSE SU Executive are "culturally insensitive" Ruchika Tulshyan Aii Moussavi Bhangra Crush, a themed student Friday night in the Underground Bar has been cancelled by the LSE Students' Union (SU) until further notice in a move described as "culturally insensitive" by the LSE SU Sikh Punjab Society, the traditional organizers of the Bhangra Crush event. A controversial email has been circulating among members of the LSE Students' Union (SU) Sikh-Punjab Society calling for members to sign a petition on the online network Eacebook, in opposition the LSE SU's decision to cancel the Bhangra-themed Crush student night. The email reads: "We regret to inform you the SU has banned Bhangra Crush until further notice due to alleged acts of violence and abusive language. We believe that it is unfair to single out Bhangra music as the cause of such acts, which occur at Crush week to week." LSE SU Treasurer Joel Kenrick said that he was unaware of the email which the Sikh-Punjab Society had sent out and he declined to comment on it without seeing it. While the LSE SU officials did not want to discuss specific acts of violence which had occurred in the past, an investigation by The Beaver can reveal that on one occasion a fight developed in the Underground Bar and while the participants were ejected from the premises, violence continued on Houghton Street. In another incident participants of a street-fight were struck over the head with glass bottles. LSE SU officials suspect that any alleged incidents of violence are conducted primarily by non-LSE students who attend the event on a Friday night. These incidents were not revealed to The Beaver by LSE SU officials. The only mention of a previous incident to members of the Sikh-Punjab Society committee was of the fight which broke out in the Underground Bar. However, the society claim that there was absolutely no mention of the fight escalating on Houghton Street. However, after their initial hesitance to comment on previous incidents, LSE SU offi- "There's ahvays the risk of violence at any club night you to to. We as a society would always like to limit that." Tanvir Singh Gill, President of the Sikh-Punjab Society cials later contested this claim and told The Beaver that the society was informed of the fight on Houghton Street. Kenrick said: "Following concerns after Bhangra Crushes last year, we spoke to the Sikh-Punjab Society and had a meeting with them a week last Tuesday at which it was agreed that they would try and hold a mid-week Bhangra event and that we would review the situation following that event." The Society was hesitant to pursue the possibility of holding the event on a weeknight. One member of the Society said that "it would be very difficult for the Society members to organize such a large scale event on a weeknight." SU officials were concerned about the possibility of violence at Bhangra Crush in light of past events. However in such cases, the Union's trustees would not be liable for the occurrence of an incident, but rather the licensees of the premises, in accordance with UK licensing law. Amid the discussions with LSE SU officials, members of the Sikh-Punjab Society were considering attending the Union General Meeting (UGM) to raise their concerns. One member indicated that an informal meeting with LSE SU General Secretary Jimmy Tam had raised the Society's hopes for the situation being dealt with before it escalated any further. Speaking to The Beaver, a member of the Sikh-Punjab Society said: "It is highly unfair and discriminatory for Bhangra music to be associated with violence aggression. Bhangra music creates a jovial and uplifting atmosphere. This is illustrated year after year at the LSE by the demand for and This logo appeared on the email Sikh-Punjab Society popularity of Bhangra performances at cultural and global shows." In a meeting between LSE SU officials and members of the Sikh-Punjab Society Committee, suggestions were made by the Committee members to increase security in the Underground Bar in light the possibility of any incidents. However LSE SU officials were reluctant to do this because they wanted to maintain their existing relationship with the current security. President of the Sikh-Punjab Society Tanvir Singh Gill said: "I just believe that the SU doesn't fully understand the nature of Bhangra music. They are implying that it is a violent form of music by cancelling the event. If you look into Bhangra's history and its sent out to members of the nature it is actually an uplifting form of music. Traditionally, it is actually used at the harvest time in India to celebrate the coming to fruition of crops. There's always the risk of violence at any club night you go to. We as a society would always like to limit that." Kenrick commented: "Since the start of this term the Students' Union have been in discussions with the Sikh-Punjab Society to try and ensure that we are able to offer Bhangra nights to our students in the future. I [have] received a request by the society...to have a further meeting. I look forward to meeting them soon to discuss their new concerns and I am confident we can come to an amicable agreement." Family thought LSE haQ was motel Michael Deas Senior Reporter A family trying to enter the main door at High Holborn with a Travelodge key card were waved in and left to wander around the bar area for around 10 minutes last week. This comes after a string of recent security concerns at LSE halls of residence. The incident further highlights the security problems at High Holborn despite recent revelations of such problems. Early in January, reporters from The Beaver entered High Holborn to investigate the hall's security. The investigation found many flat doors which were faulty or left open deliberately. The reporters also found an unlocked security room which held all the numbered keys to the individual rooms at High Holborn still not on a keycard entry system. The family with the Travelodge key card had entered through the magnetic security door, the only locked door between the street and students' flats. This door has been found unlocked at times, including during the night. Security staff have been noted to be away from the rece" ' " Travelodge is situated opposite the LSE hall of residence on High Holborn desk late at night, even when the security door has been left unlocked. Joe Butler-Biggs, a High Holborn resident who saw the incident, said "I thought it was weird that a whole family had a card to a student Halls. After the receptionist opened the door for them, they returned later asking- about the Hotel bar, looking a bit confused. The receptionist eventually direct- ed the group to the Drury Lane Travelodge." Another resident, who wished to remain anonjonous, thought that staff on the front desk was letting people in without being sure they were residents, and that she didn't think new staff understood security procedure. On one occasion, shortly after the earlier revelations of security problems at High Holborn, a reporter from The Beaver who lived in the halls was waved in. After the reporter challenged security to tell him why they had let him enter without identification, security guards told the reporter that they knew he was a resident. However, the more recent incident concerning the family has highlighted the flaws in this procedure. The anonymous resident said: "I'm still not sure I feel completely safe in Halls. Security definitely isn't being taken seriously enough, given the central location of the Halls. Theft is taking place at other Halls and it's only a matter of time until we get the same problems if security isn't improved." In response to these concerns, Sarah Jons, High Holborn Services Manager, said: "Students tell us that they don't want us to turn their home into a fortress. Installing turnstiles or asking everyone to produce ID as they enter would be too invasive." "Whilst we frequently remind students to keep flat doors locked we can't employ someone to check every flat. Security is about everybody pulling their weight," Jons said. LSE Students' Union (SU) Residences Officer Louise Robinson said: "I requested that Halls consider re-briefing staff to tackle the problems that are being seen again and again. Simply, this has not happened, and it's utterly appalling. This inaction from LSE cannot continue, as students are yet again being left in a vulnerable position in certain cases." Union Jack UNION RAP After the latest episode of the Old Theatre Jack thinks what the UGM really needs is a"Last week in the Old Theatre..." sequence. And everyone knows the front-man must do the honours, especially when he as honourable as our very beloved front-man Limp Tampon. So the plan for the coming week: Jimmy reads the poem below out loud in order to update those in attendance of the story so far. Jack spent a lot of time on it too, so leam it well Jimmy. Attention all AU jocks: Team America says paper throwing no longer rocks. This is the diktat from the boss: yes, that's wannabe-boss Closs; TamPon said the Exec didn't know, but those paper-missiles have gotta go. Except if you use the cover of a chair -those balls are entirely fair. But who could tell who was shocked more, Team America or the UGM floor? "Sing the Praise-Sutherland tune!"proclaimed Tampon, or was it a Howie D Goon? "Ask the people!", "Yes, let's!" Screamed Kasspellite Konstitutional Ketts. Levelled at Jimmy: "You're afraid of the School," "But I'm YOUR tool" lied Tampon the Fool. In came Fonyodi the Governors' Court Jester, This was a man whom the Left failed to pester. Willie in-need-of-Barber came next. But Dewj-bag let him speak not, as he dissected the motion's text. "You're prejudging the outcome" Comical Ali cried out, A vote was called, that was the end of the bout. The anti-democrats won. Referendum day would never come. Now Jack knows a new tune for sure: "Censure; censure"has a particular allure. Jack eagerly awaits the reading of Union Rap at the next UGM. Signing off. Jack "the Rapper" + 04 weaver 30 January 2007 Sutherland referendum rejected: campaign continues Erica Gornall Senior Reporter A referendum on the appointment of Peter Sutherland as Chair of the LSE Council was voted down at last week's Union General Meeting (UGM). The motion fell by a narrow margin of six votes. In a controversial move, LSE Students' Union (SU) General Secretary Jimmy Tam spoke against the motion for a referendum. He claimed that the motion was "not going to achieve anything". He added: "I know the School better than anyone else, I know how it works and I know that the School is not going to change its mind on this decision." Had the motion passed, Tam would have been responsible for presenting the motion to the School in spite of speaking against it. On Friday, sources and dcpre Lru..:-: is Liirlt Auil-.tw, ;..j 7.. James Ketteringham confirmed that there were low-level discussions involving the possibility of a censuring against Tam. Earlier in the week, at an open meeting to discuss student concerns over the appointment, Tam repeatedly urged the people gathered to be "realistic". At the UGM, however, he rejected suggestions that he was "scared" of the School's Director, Howard Davies. James Ketteringham, who spoke in favour of the motion, said that he was disappointed in Tam's decision to speak against the motion. He said: "I find it appalling and depressing that a leader of the Students' Union is that willing to be so passive." However, LSE SU Communications Officer Ali Dewji disagreed with the wording of the motion. He said: "I don't think that any motion asking for a referendum is going to pass until they remove the section that also says that they're going to make it official Students' Union policy to oppose his appointment." Dewji cited the need for a more neutral motion, and believed that it should more clearly outline what it would aim to do. He also expressed concern that there was no provision regarding potential student turnout in the event of a referendum. The recent student sit-in during a public lecture Sutherland was to deliver to the School renewed concerns Photograph: Liam Chambers ram's decision to speak against contentious by some from certain students over the transparency of the appointment process and the degree to which students were consulted. According to some, LSE SU representatives were "blackmailed" into keeping quiet over who was to become the Chair of Council and it was inferred that concessions to the SU would be withdrawn if the silence was broken. This was rejected in the UGM by Eddie Fonyodi, who asserted that "we [the student representatives at the time all verified this process." Discussing the issue of the the motion was regarded as appointment, LSE SU Treasurer Joel Kenrick, who protested against Sutherland in a personal capacity, said: "I think it will definitely be active for the next year. There are many students who oppose the lifting of the cap on tuition fees and who strongly believe that if Sutherland is appointed, the School will be going down a neo-liberal line of supporting a free-market education." Sources confirm that a further motion supporting a referendum on the appointment of Sutherland is to be tabled. Israel boycott faces dissent Patrick Cullen Senior Reporter Seventy members of the Universities' and Colleges' Union (UCU) have written to the Times Higher Education Supplement {THES) to oppose UCU's endorsement of the boycott of Israeli academics. The seventy members have also opposed the response of UCU to the accusations of the All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into anti-Semitism that the endorsement of the boycotts was "anti-Jewish in practice". The signatories of the letter to the THES argue that, "in its response to the All-Party Inquiry into anti-Semitism, the Union does not speak or act in our name." According to the letter, the UCU's response to the accusation of being anti-Jewish "ignores, or evades, or mischar-acterises [the] criticism". The letter begins by referring to UCU's response as "evasive, disingenuous and complacent". It goes on to read; "In response to the charge that a boycott of Israeli academics, with which UCU continues to flirt, would be a policy that unintentionally discriminates against Jews, the Union pleads innocent to a different charge, declaring that its members are not motivated by a hatred of Jews. It fails to address the problem of institutional or unintentional anti-Semitism which concerned the MPs." Ben Epstein, the Treasurer of the LSE Students' Union (SU) Jewish Society, told The Beaver that the "proposed academic boycott of Israel is irresponsible and needlessly discriminatory. I would question the more insidious and sinister motives of those extreme enough to suggest following such a course of action." In contrast, a pro-Palestinian student at the School argued: "All weapons must be used in the battle against Zionism and imperialism. The letter is typically wishy-washy and those who signed it...are stupid enough to think that they can be 'fair' and 'one-sided', much like those at the Union General Meeting (UGM) argued last week [regarding] amendments to the Palestinian university motion. The LSE is not anti-Semitic. The boycott would greatly assist the progressive cause as it would again focus attention on the entire Israeli state's culpability - academics are...not neutral players." The issue of the Arab-Israeli conflict has at times caused mild divisions among the LSE's student body. Only last week, both pro-Palestinians and pro-Israelis packed out the Old Theatre to vote for and against a UGM motion to twin the LSE SU with a Palestinian university. The motion passed after amendments to also twin the LSE SU to an Israeli university fell. anea]oi:eian.coin contestant CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE One comment read: "To argue, as Martin does, that white people deserve special condemnation for racism, is of course totally racist. A fault in his argument and ideological position this creep is well aware of, but he bangs on nonetheless with the help of The Guardian editorial board. Imagine my shock." Jacques also claims that the events of Big Brother exemplify how when confronted by their own racism, British people "shuffle their feet, fall silent, become incoherent." The failure of Jade Goody's housemates to openly condemn her behaviour as racist and Channel 4's chief executive's claim that "we cannot with certainty say that the comments directed at Shilpa have been racially motivated" were, in Jacques' view, "a measure of how little distance we have travelled as a society when it comes to understanding racism." Jacc^yes believes that the growing political and economic etty has many supporters influence of India and China will also demand a more honest appraisal of British attitudes, with Britain no longer being able to ignore the attitudes and cultures of other nations. "Part of the process of creating a new modern set of British values is an engagement with British history. With The events ot Big Brcjther were "a measisre of !v:-v little disl:aji(;e Wi: have traveUcd O:-societ}' when it coma:'. to understandiiig racism." Martin Jacques, LSE academic our new ethnic mix, we have an opportunity for this story to be told both from the experience of the white British and from those of India, Africa etc. Without their voice, we only tell half the story,". Jacques said. . ' - • . CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE year later than expected, they also received back payments as part of the pay increase in August 2006. Unexpectedly however, overtime pay, which used to be set at 'time and a half, was suspended at the end of last year without any prior warning to catering staff. It was in the monthly pay slip for November that staff noticed all pay above the basic rate was withdrawn from them. According to several members of staff, it was after this that they were informed by Liz Thomas, Head of the LSE's Catering Service, that they would no longer be paid overtime. For some, this has resulted in a loss of up to £400 in overtime pay. Speaking to The Beaver, one catering staff member said that "people felt misled", as they had been under the impression that they would be paid overtime when initially working more hours. He said: "nobody was warned it was coming out of their wages", and "they were made to work under false pretences". Another member of staff said that she felt the School was in general "a good employer, providing good pay and good holidays, but the way people were treated in this [issue] was bad", and as a result "people were angry". Several employees spoke of their frustration at the lack of communication and the personal stress caused by the manner in which the decision was made, for which they felt ^yy^«i»<^hotograph: Li£m Chambers ' tP- atering stair, mahy^Twhom work in theBrunch Bowl, areupset over withdrawal of overtime pay Thomas was responsible. In response to the claims, Thomas argued that the initial overtime payment after the new system had been in place work Anonymous member of catering staff was "an error of overpayment", and that it was rectified by taking the payments back from employees. She also added that catering staff had received sub- stantial pay rises as part of the new system and the lowest wage now being paid was £7.80, a high figure for the industry. Thomas further said that no complaints were made by employees in situations where they were overpaid and that she had personally apologised for the error. She added that regular meetings are held with staff to ensure effective communication. Thomas emphasised the decision to suspend overtime payments was a "School-wide" issue and not a decision made personally by herself for the catering department. However, it is suspected that other employees of the School, such as security personnel, are still being paid overtime. Concern has also been expressed over the lack of union membership among the LSE's catering staff. Research suggests a low rate of union membership, with only five to six percent of LSE catering staff belonging to a union. One employee of LSE catering service said that he had "tried to enquire about unions but came across stumbling blocks". He claimed that a lack of awareness was to blame. This was supported by another member of staff who spoke of there no longer being a union representative to encourage new staff to join, when there previously had been. Responding to these points, Thomas said that she did not have access to information on union membership, and that it was "not of [her] concern", adding she should not treat any member of staff differently, whether or not they are a union member. , . . ' NEWS IBeaver I 30 January 2007 05 Protestors greet Estonian PM Michael Deas Senior Reporter Twenty protesters gathered outside the Old Building before the arrival of Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip's, who was visiting the LSE to deliver a public lecture on the European Union (EU). The protesters, mostly non-LSE students from former Soviet republics, were voicing opposition at the passing of a law in Estonia that paves the way for the removal of Soviet war memorials, including the Grave of the Unknown Soldier in the capital Tallinn. The protestors argue that memorials to the 26 million Soviet lives lost in the fight against Nazism should be left standing, even though they contain Soviet symbols such as the hammer and sickle. Maria Gratsova, an LSE student at the protest, said; "Every year, on the day of the end of World War II, Russians bring flowers to this memorial, which is also a tomb. For e iLsionian rnme ivimisier roiesiors gainer ouisiae ing awauing e arnva "Russian nunonties are folly integrated. This is not an is.s5ie. Russians in Estonia should be mere grateful," Andrus Ansip, Estonian PM Russians, the memorial symbolizes the end of the War and the occupation." The protesters also held banners showing their concern for Russian minorities in for- mer Soviet republics. Gratsova said: "Those Russians, who do not have Estonian citizenship, nine percent of the population, can only vote in municipal elections, not national. They cannot travel without a visa, which is hard to obtain, as you are legally an alien. It is also harder for them to find employment." Prime Minister Ansip seemed to dismiss the protesters' concerns. When asked by The Beaver to justify the removal of war memorials, the Prime Minister said: "I am sure the students of the LSE are not here to hear about this. But when people are loitering on the graves, they become a problem. No one in Estonia wants to forget those who died in World War II." Gratsova asked the Prime Minister about the plight of the Russian minority in Estonia. To this, the Prime Minster responded that "Russian minorities are fully integrated. This is not an issue. Russians in Estonia should be more grateful." After the public lecture, Gratsova told The Beaver. "My Prime Minister did not say a single word about his plans for the ethnic Russians. He has none and does not care about a quarter of his population, which is rather worrying." In the lecture, entitled "A Positive View of the EU", Ansip explained that secession had brought benefits including an increase in trade and employment levels and a massive turn around in the country's economy LSE admissions favours international applicants Peter Barton Senior Reporter The use of quotas for undergraduate admissions has resulted in a system in which students from outside the European Union (EU) are 35 percent more likely to be accepted to the LSE than students from within the EU. The LSE's undergraduate admissions policy explicitly states that "the School allocates places separately for EU and non-EU students within each department". The number of EU students that the LSE is allowed to accept is determined by Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), and the School sets its own limits on the amount of international students. The quota system means that when students apply to a department with a given number of places, they are only competing for the open slots allocated to their category- This results in a system that has different admissions standards for each category. While one in 15 EU applicants is awarded a place, one in ten non-EU applicants are accepted. Whether a student is from within the EU or outsifi^. pf^ilj determines his or her "fee status", and the undergraduate admissions office confirmed that there are quotas for students based on this status. However, admissions quotas are not "set in stone", and the LSE maintains that it recruits "students with the very best academic potential irrespective of their background." The School also dismisses suggestions that that selection on academic lines would not match the quotas. The tuition fees paid by different students has long been an issue for universities. In 2004, LSE director Howard Davies called the British undergraduate market a "loss-making business". International students pay higher fees which help to subsidise the cost of university for British students. Over the past five years the number of international students at the LSE has risen from 4,661 in the 2001-2002 academic year to 5,874 in the 2005-2006 academic year. Fadhil Bakeer Marker, the LSE SU International Students Officer, said that "there is no problem with diversity at the LSE", but did see it as reasonable to make sure that degrees are balanced between different nationalities. aj'o.Tis C|tilai9d;ri-)C' .'loim; 33% more likely to be accepted if you're from outside the EU: 1/15 accepted in European Union 1/10 accepted outside European Union 2006/07 fees: Home/European Union; £3,000 Outside European Union; £11,418 General Course; £13,872 Mastei-s; ~ £12,000 (varies according to degree) Fees could double by '09 Vishal Banerjee Senior Reporter The government is suggesting that fees will have to be increased again, having already been 'topped-up' at the start of the current academic year. This could double the cost of university In order to cover teaching costs. The effect of the new fees can be seen in the decline in the number of UK students attending university, which dropped by as much as 3.6 percent in 2006. The government is now trying to determine whether the drop in university attendance is temporary or not. Middle-income UK families have been worst hit, as many students have just missed out on grants or loans. Many of these students cannot afford the new fees and instead of university education they have chosen other options. There has been a slight increase in the number of students from abroad, particularly from the EU. This increase does not compensate for the loss of students from the UK, however, as the increase is less than one percent. The BBC has claimed that student fees will be forced to rise to £6,000. This would be twice the amount of the current maximum, which is resting at £3,000. Some science-related courses may eventually cost up to £10,000. A recent survey shows that many students around the country are paying £13,000 in fees and maintenance costs every year, and are being pushed financially. Some students are calling for better guidance on how to handle their finances. When asked what reassurance he could offer that fees would not ride to £10,000, LSE director Howard Davies said: "There is not much in speculation and lobbying a government proposal before it happens. Rather we need to look at what the impact of fees has been. For UK students the income we get for educating the students is below what it costs for each student. It roughly costs £7,500 to educate one student each year so we don't break even until we get £5,000. At present situation the fees will not be increasing to £10,000." Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell has responded to the rumours of higher fees for students by saying that fees were fixed until 2010. He said: "An independent commission reporting to parliament will report on the first three years experience of the system and will consider further arrangements for the fee cap and student support." According to the BBC.Vice-Chancellors from the top twenty universities around the country conducting the most research have been in general consensus that the current maximum of £3,000 tuition fees would have to be doubled by 2009. Gender and culture at Women's and India Weeks featured This week, the LSE Students' Union (SU) celebrated Women's Week, with events ranging from female political speakers to debates about the role of feminism and the effect of the media on the position of women in society. Hazel Blears MP spoke to the LSE SU Labour Society about her experiences in the workplace and the lack of female MPs in the House of Commons, particularly female ethnic minorities. A public lecture titled "Illegible Rage" highlighted the effects of fashion photography and celebrity magazines on the female body image. A gender equality focus group was well attended, and other events hosted by the Islamic, Conservative, Debating, Feminist and LGBT Societies were also reportedly a success. Zoe Sullivan, SU Women's Officer, told The Beaver: "I am very pleased with Women's Week 2007. All the feedback I received from students who attended the events was quite positive, and people seemed to appreciate the range and variety of events." . Erica Gornall 'JiiKlllJ The LSE Students' Union's (SU) Indian, Hindu, Krishna-Consciousness, SPICE and International Societies jointly organised India Week last week. A busy schedule saw over 20 events field during the week. The South Asia Fair involved the LSE SU Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Islamic societies and highlighted the many traditions shared by the countries of the subcontinent. Events included a Bollywood dance workshop, a documentary screening exploring the lives of sex workers in Calcutta, a panel debate on technology and global services, an inter-faith dialogue discussing India as "an icon of global religious tolerance", and the Masti Ke Ring cultural show was featured as the showpiece of the week. A member of the Indian Society told The Beaver that he felt that India Week was a success and appealed to all students at the LSE. He said: "Even at events such as a Ganesh Puja or a talk on 'Fundamental Concepts of Hindu Thought', where one wouldn't really expect a large mix of ethnicities - we have seen so many people coming from backgrounds very different to South Asian. , Bajan Patel 06 leaver! 30 January 2007 NEWS LSE plans ejqjansion Julian Robinson, Director of Planning and Development for the LSE Estates Division, spoke to The Beaver about some of the School's plans for expansion. Ali Moussavi News Editor Inside the New Academic Building falfe- fi: ii The New Acadennic Building will contain three new lecture theatres, nnore than 30 classroonns and research facilities. It unlocks potential for the rest of the LSE campus. The School will then be able to move key departments into the building. That will then allow the School to move around other departments into the vacated space. There will soon be an architectural appraisal of the island site (PS, Q, L and K) to explore possibilities, because the Government Department will be moving out of the island site in the summer and into a newly refurbished accommodation in Connaught House. The intention of this is to decant the Clare Market Building (C) and the St Clements Building. As a consequence of this, in the future, the Students' Union may also be moved. It is possible that it be moved to the island site (PS, Q, L and K). /- 0^' 8t Suitdlng- . luikiino ' 1':^ I I. ¦« Aldmcti Future plans are set to improve facilities significantly There is a possibility of Parish Hall (PH) also being decanted to create an urban square. This would become a new focus for the LSE. It will| give the campus an open space and reduce the constrained! atmosphere. ¦M St Clements Buildi?!^ "I think the LSE has had steady growth and the New Academic Building is predicated on growth to 9000 students. There is not a conscious plan to expand into Lincolns Inn Fields, although clearly if opportunities arise, we will look at those seriously and it may well mean we look at the overall estate." Julian Robinson, LSE Estates Division —^ m There may also be a possibility of demolishing the St Philips Building and rebuilding it. This building could take a number of uses. These could include residences. Students' Union facilities or academic accommodation. COMMENT&ANALYSIS IBeaverl 30 January 2007 07 COMMENT &A NALYSIS c&a@thebeaveronline.co.uk After a massive debate in the UGM, Wil Barber and Ramzi Suleiman attack an Exec and a General Secretaiy unwilling to listen to students Listen, for fuck's sake Wi Ba ¦man Last week in the Beaver Erica Gomall wrote an interesting piece about the lack of participation in student democracy, however, one crucial reason was overlooked. The problem was highlighted at this week's UGM and if that display was anything to go by we're going to need a lot more than gimmicks like electronic voting and workshops to get more students voting. Those who weren't amongst the one hundred people in the Old Theatre on Thursday unfortunately missed the fall of a motion that would have had a huge effect not just on current but future LSE students. We are of course talking about the motion on a possible referendum on the appointment of Peter Sutherland as Chair of LSE Council. The fall of this motion has set a dangerous precedent for students and student representation at LSE. The issue has united students from across the political spectrum - both for and against the idea of a referendum. Our argument, however, has always been that the coronation of Peter Sutherland has exposed a real democratic deficit within the university. Firstly, there is a real need for 19 No wonder no-one votes: LSE will only ignore those we vote for and they will do nothing students to have a say on the appointment of the key individuals that will guide LSE policy on a huge number of issues that effect students for years to come. Secondly, this problem with the system has led to the misguided appointment of Peter Sutherland and this needs to be corrected now. The university's reputation is founded upon the ability of its students. It's because of this: the future direction of the LSE shouldn't be solely up to the Governors. The motion itself sought to address these concerns and expressed the real need for wider student consultation to prevent the School from being able to ignore the views of our elected representatives on the Court of Governors. The motion sjmi-bolised a desire to show the Governors that we will no longer accept the School imposing its will on a voiceless student body. It would have been a big step towards standing up against the School on other big issues that affect us all, like top up fees, and provided our representatives with a greater mandate to bring about the kind of changes to which they are themselves committed. However, this Thursday the majority of the SU Executive voted against a motion that would have clearly indicated to the School that students won't accept the appointment of an individual who, given his "credentials", won't best represent the interests of the student body. The same student body that has voted against top-up fees and on Thursday voted for greater environmental protection around the globe. Yet, by rejecting the motion, the UGM gave tacit approval to an oil baron who will no doubt approve increasing top-up fees. As well as this our main representative to the School, the General Secretary, decided instead to stand with the LSE governors - citing the proposed referendum as 'irrational' and 'a waste of time' on the grounds that School wouldn't listen to us. Surely, this is a fundamental betrayal of everything the General Secretary is supposed to stand for - ignoring the views of all the Eacebook friends that projected him to power. A unique opportunity to listen to the views of typical LSE students has been lost. Unfortunately, in a swirl of self-interest and personality clashes the referendum has been rejected and so goes with it the last chance to oppose to the 'marketisation' of our edu- cation system and the spiralling fees that come with it. The rejection of this motion is a clear sign the majority of the SU Executive has abandoned any last attempt to stand up to the School when it rides roughshod over the views of students. No wonder no-one votes in SU elections, the School will only ignore those who we vote for and our representatives won't do anything about it. • Are all Lefties tree-huggers? Are Righties anti-abortion? Or are we looking at this all wrong? SU Societies Officer Arthur Krebbers answers Don't pigeonhole the politicos Arthui Krebbei It's time to stop worshipping at the high altars of "Rightism" and "Leftism". Our union is way more complicated than this black-white paradigm would suggest. Pigeonholing others is an innate part of human nature. We can make sense of our surroundings by clustering them under convenient headings. Even more so in politics, where one can easily get snowed under by the sheer diversity of opinion. Still, this need not always be healthy. The continual reference towards an omnipresent 'Right' and 'Left' witliin the LSE student body is in fact highly corrosive. It seems to suggest that the politically active wing of the SU is near-to polarised between two camps. In doing so, it stifles actual debate about policies and candidates, and encourages the formation and fortification of insular factions. What's more, this sense of dualism is far removed from the more colourful reality. There are lots of shades of grey to be found amongst politically active students. In the absence of class, ethnic or religion-based voting, people tend more and more to pick and mix their I'ouid LSKSl* sit iji thjfrivuch Parliinucnt? Avtluft* ¦*; J Q V- 5, J preferred policies. Even well-embedded activists who profess a particular ideology can have substantial differences of opinion with their closest comrades. This becomes all the more clear in cases that transgress the classic left-right split. Several hacks have baptised themselves 'Blue Green's' (Aqua, if you mix the two correctly). Here, they appear to be following Schwarzenegger's brand of environmentally-friendly conservatism, appealing to both sides of the spectre. Within the socialist movement there is a core group of orthodox religious voters, who take a highly conservative view on such issues as gay rights and abortion. Then there's the obvious internal battle of ideas between the social-liberals and the economic "Orange Book" liberals. There is also the issue of personal and societal perspective. The left-right split is in Let's not judge people by what they say, but how they act and whether they perform essence dependent on subjective criteria; everyone will draw the line differently. There are some on campus who believe that opposing Castro's (autocratic) regime and Hezbollah's (theocratic) policies automatically brands you an avid right-winger. Others would boot you out of the left camp for arguing for the benefits of free markets or failing to denounce George Bush as "The World's No 1 Terrorist". At the opposite end, Thatcherites may accuse you of being an illiberal left winger for favouring progressive taxes or welcoming a public smoking ban. As well as this, the historical and national roots are of utmost importance. Many radical activists in Soviet satellite states have morphed into conservative populists after the wall fell. Similarly, outspoken 'laissez faire' liberals such as Jeremy Bentham were highly progressive in their day and age - but would now be deemed rather reactionary. Within student politics there is another important distinction to be made. Besides a candidate's political preferences, his or her methodological views can be equally important. How do they hope to achieve their goals? How will they work with the school? Are they in favour of a consensual approach or a head-on clash? Let's not just judge people by what they say, but on how they act and whether they perform. And let's leam to devel- op beyond knee-jerk labelling of student activists. Only then will we begin to appreciate the different flavours of political opinion at the LSE and step up the quality of debate. Ofiteieootd,on^Qr,atdvay-husfhhiBh Hacktavist was deeply disappointed last week. Firstly with the completelack of entertainment at Dewji's Drinks - although this should have been expected, given that Mass-Debaters are rarely interested in anything other than themselves. And secondly with the non-existence of a Womens Officer or so it would seem - given most of Womens Week was organised by Warrior Vincenti and her clan of fanatic feminists. But despite the tragedy Hacktavist is energized for the week ahead...and it's all because of one beautiful backstabbing word: CENSURE! Ibms out too many Hacks think 'Action Man' Tam is a Sham full of Spam. Uncle Scam has already Shane-d the Union by not delivering on his one election pledge - to conduct the Naked Chef experiment (although one first year may disagree). But it was Spam's declaration of love for Peter Sutherland that has really caused enragement - and the Eyes of Hacktavist were pleased to spot plotters lurking around the East building last week. Perhaps Spam will think more carefully before he embarks on his next suck-up to the School. Hacktavist has leamt of yet another former Beaverite allegedly entering a Sabb race and this time it is for the much loved post of Mis-Communicating Officer. Bbrtunately, it's not the one who thinks he's an Economist staff writer - but none other than squeaky voiced Gummer who is stuck over which brand of chewing gum he should give out to the proles, in order to win himself some votes. Hacktavist recommends consulting the Tree Huggers, before they conduct a sit in outside his house - should he be silly enough to choose gum that's wrapped in paper or aluminium - or anything that's not I^r trade Cotton really. Meanwhile, Eerie Beciri didn't have to wait long for a moment of glory, as yet another by-election for the Clowns committee will be held this week. Hacktavist has been gagged from trying to perform His democratic duty - that is giving you the dirt on the candidates. So much for Free Speech...Perhaps Gummy Bear can help? Or FinSoc -who could pull always liven things up with a bit of an election scandal? Love the scandal?im Hacktavist hacktavi5t@tellusthegQssip.c(Hn osl IBeaverl 30 January 2007 COMMEN' COMMENT&ANALYSIS ANALYSIS c&a@thebeaveronline.co.uk SU Environment Officer Aled Fisher, responds to criticism on his campaign week and lights the way to a greener LSE LSG: School of Greenomics Alec Fish< Having written a piece for The Beaver on radical anti-capi-talist ecology for Environment Week, it was unfortunate that some people thought that the Environment Week bags were an example of "consumer environmental-ism". There were problems with the bags. Through no-one's fault, we did not get the The Independent's literature delivered, meaning we could not pack the bags before the paper's employees arrived to help. As the employees could only bring replacement material and help for three days, the bags could not be given out every day. Indeed, if I get the chance to do another Environment Week, I would reconsider making bags for the week, seeking other methods of promoting the environmental message. Nevertheless, they were not counterproductive. They advertised the week as widely as possible and featured mucli valuable material, all of which was recycled. I also made an effort to recycle any posters I put up. The week achieved its primary aim - raising awareness. I thank Izzy Abidi and The Independent employees for their assistance. Meanwhile, there are many positive steps on waste reduction being taken throughout the School and the SU that deserve to be highlighted here - and require involvement from students and societies. The SU has done countless things this year that will reduce waste, including lobbying the school to introduce mandatory duplex printing. 19 Postering on Houghton Street is a problem -it is simply wasteful Environmentally-conscious activists, including Joel Kenrick, James Caspell, Louise Robinson and I, have formed a dialogue on the environment with senior LSE offi- cials (especially Director of Finances and Facilities, Andy Farrell). Andy Farrell has pledged to make LSE carbon-neutral and expressed a desire for the elimination of plastic bottle usage - bold, exciting proposals that we must make sure the School follows through on while applauding the efforts of Mr. Farrell and others. Furthermore, Victoria Hands, LSE Sustainability Coordinator, has now become a full-time staff member - a vital step forward for the future. Thanks to Victoria, LSE has just been awarded £86,930 from the Higher Education Funding Council for a project entitled "Sustainability in Universities - Moving Towards Zero Waste in Halls of Residence", which may well be the most important ecological step taken in LSE's history. Ironically, last week's letter was published just as I began liaising with staff and societies about reducing postering on Houghton Street and in the SU. Postering on Houghton Street is a problem - it is simply wasteful, given that the sheer volume of posters is usually ignored by passers-by, as societies battle for attention in a poster 'arms race' and volunteers have to get up very early to beat the rush! An idea to cut use is to introduce notice boards on Houghton Street and in the SU buildings, where societies will be allowed to place one poster per board, rather than putting fifteen per wall! This will slash paper use and encourage people to read posters at central points, rather than ignoring them. I encourage everyone, particularly societies, to email me to work on how to proceed: the above idea is just the beginning in terms of finding practical solutions. Another waste reduction project is in the pipeline, this time regarding the use of paper cups at catering outlets. After initial research during last year's Sustainable Future Student Consulting Group, a 'Smart Mug' scheme was offered as a way of minimising waste. Smart Mugs would be LSESU-branded insulated mugs that could be bought at the SU shop and then used at SU and, eventually, LSE catering outlets to purchase hot drinks at a specially discounted price. This would also require the installation of new water fountain facilities for washing the mugs (for health and safety reasons). By happy coincidence, new water fountains, which have been long sought by many students, would provide students with free, clean water and allow people to reduce their plastic bottle use. There are many problematic logistical issues concerning these mugs but they have been used elsewhere with much success, reducing literally by the hundreds of thousands the amounts of disposable cups used in other universities across the world! Making LSE sustainable is a long and difficult process, but one that can be so rewarding. We have many challenges that we need to tackle - so let's work together to make LSE a world leader in sustainability. Final year Histoiy student Sachin Mehta slams his department for not being worth the money he paid to study in it LSE: Not value for money Sach Meh< LSE then they are sadly mistaken. As I see it the university needs to provide three things in order for students to leam in a 'no-spoon-environment'. Firstly lectures and classes can actually work independently. Lastly, there has to be support so that students who are having trouble can turn to someone in order to get back on track. As a final year student I am bemused to read the reports in certain national newspapers that several university directors once again want to raise tuition fees. When I first came to the London School of Economics in 2004 home students only had to pay £1,100; since that year students have had to pay around triple that. The directors who want to raise top up fees again obviously think that the hike in 2005 has been successful in making them better education institutions but, in LSE's case, I'm left wondering where this money has gone. Essay students still only receive eight hours of classes or lectures a week - this is not a long time getting taught and can only be justified with the argument that students learn more if they are not spoon-fed. However, if the LSE thinks this argument supports the current teaching system at the The Historj' Ueparlments Good «alue jDr fees? ! have to be well organised, effectively delivered and focused on giving students the guidance they need. Secondly, there has to be an abundance of resources so that students Relative to the price we pay lectures and classes are haphazardly organised, poorly delivered - be it through lack of motivation or public speaking - and don't appear to have a focus at all. Comments often made by students about classes and lectures are simply a variation of, "That was a waste of time." The library, although marvelous to look at, does not stock enough books that are on the reading lists. Thus, rather than an abundance of resources, students often have to make do with half the relevant reading. As for the third necessity, in my department at least, the level of pastoral care is pathetic. If students can be bothered they can go visit their tutor (most do not because they know it is a pointless exercise), they most often do not know your name, or are simply unable to solve any problems you might have, as I found in my first two years. As a result, I find within my department students who are excessively stressed about their course, in the sense of their marks or understanding of readings, and feel they have no where to go. In my opinion, the education I have gleaned at LSE was not worth the £1,100 per year that I had to pay. I would have expected an increase in top-up fees to have gone some way in solving the gaps in LSE's pro- vision. However, in my three years at the LSE there has not been an increase in teaching time, there is still a lack of resources in the library and, in my experience, the quality of teaching or support have not improved either. Since the first The education I have gleaned at LSE was not worth the £i,ioo per year that I had to pay rise in tuition fees has not been spent on providing these necessities of a top rate university, where has it gone? In order for students not to feel short-changed by the LSE this question should be answered and any increases in the future should be far better justified. iBeaver Znd Floor, East Building LSE Students' Union London WC2A 2AE emoll: thebeaver@1se.ac.uk Published since 194?. EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sidhanth Kamath MANAGING EDITOR Chris Lam SECRETARY Lucie Gouiet NEWS EDITORS Laura Deck; AH Moussavi; Timothy Root C&A EDITOR SInnon Douglas FEATURES EDITORS Charlie Samuda; Christine Whyte PART B EDITORS Kevin Perry; Daniel B.Yates SPORTS EDITOR Laura Parfitt DESIGN EDITOR Aditi Nangia WEB EDITOR IVlin Ou PHOTOGRAPHY SUB-EDITOR Liam Chambers COMMISSIONING SUB-EDITOR Charlie Hallion THE COLLECTIVE: Chair: Fatima Manji collectivechair@the-beaveronline.co.uk Ross Allan; Andhalib Karim; Sam Ashton; Sancha Sainton; Fadhil Bakeer-Markar; Vishal Banerjee; Wil Barber; Alex Barros-Curtis; Rothna Begum; Ruby Bhavra; Neshy Boukhari; Clem Broumley-Young; James Bull; Sam Burke; Andy Burton; Sumit Buttoo; Ed Calow; Jess Cartwright; James Caspell; Claire Cheriyan; Chris Colvin; Laura Coombe; Owen Coughlan; Peter Currie; Patrick Cullen; James Davies; Michael Deas; Ali Dewji; Jan Daniel Dormann; Matt Dougherty; Aled Dilwyn Fisher; Alex George; Ben Gianforti; Rupert Guest; Steve Gummer; Andrew Hallett; Charlie Hallion; Wong Chun Han; Chris Heathcote; Josh Heller; Kevin Heutchi;Tahiya Islam; William Joce; Lois Jeary; Laleh Kazemi-Veisari; Joel Kenrick; James Ketteringham; Arthur Krebbers; Sanjivi Krishnan; Laura Kyrke-Smith; Ben Lamy; Charles Laurence; Roger Lewis ; Shu Hao Don Lim; James Longhofer; Ziyaad Lunat; Clare Mackie; Kim Mandeng; Jami Makan; Jessica McArdle; Ju McVeigh; Joey Mellows; Nitya Menon; Libby Meyer;Sophie Middlemiss; Daisy Mitchel-Forster; Chris Naylor; Doug Oliver; Erin Orozco; Aba Osunsade; Rob Parker; Matthew Partridge; Rajan Patel; Keith Postler; John Philpott; Danielle Priestley; Joe Quaye; Gareth Rees; Ricky Ren; Louise Robinson; Daniel Sheldon; Alex Small; Rebecca Stephenson; Jimmy Tam; Alex Teytelboym; Meryem Torun; Angus Tse; Molly Tucker; Vladimir Unkovski-Korica; Rosamund Urwin; Louise Venables; Alexandra Vincenti; Claudia Whitcomb; Greg White; Amy Williams; Yee To Wong; PRINTED BY THE NORTHCLIFFE PRESS If you have written three or more articles for The Beaver and your name does not appear in the Collective, please email; thebeaver.editor0lse.8c.uk and you will be added to the list in next week's paper. The Beaver is available in | alternative formats. The views and opinions expressed in the Beaver are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the editors or the LSE Students' Union. COMMENT&ANALYSIS leaver I 30 January 2007 09 COMMENT & ANALYSIS c&a@thebeaveronline.co.uk leaver Established 1949 - Issue 657 Britain dripping with racism,.. ...according to someone who clearly doesn't know what they're talking about "Britain is dripping with racism," says Martin Jacques. This is a heavy thing to say, a dark and serious accusation to lay at the feet of an entire nation. Abraham Heschel called racism "the maximum of hatred for the minimum of reason," and it goes without saying that this paper abhors it in any form, but that does not negate the possibility that Jacques has perhaps overstepped the mark. No doubt he will have his supporters. Whether we like it or not, we live in a country where words such as "Paki" are common parlance in many places. However, if we are to cite this, and Goody's ignorant description of Shilpa Shetty as "Shilpa Poppadom", as clear evidence of racism, then why do we not cite the use of "gorah" among Asians as evidence of widespread anti-white racism? The claim that white people never experience racism cannot be fully corroborated. On a global scale, one only has to look to countries like Zimbabwe for evidence of white persecution, while closer to home racist attacks on white people are rare but not unheard of. According to Jacques, white people cannot comprehend racism because they are the exception to the rule in that they are never targets of racism. But if no understanding of the issue of racism has been made on the part of the white man, then how has racism declined from days when racial segregation was practised in abundance in our society. But perhaps the clearest and most obvious demonstration of the fact that this country is not racist is exactly the example that Jacques has cited, the Big Brother furore. If this country really were "dripping with racism" then surely Jade Goody would have more supporters. Instead she has been uniformly chided and mocked for her attitude. It seems to this paper, however, that racism is not so much the issue as the taboo of race. It is not that we all despise anyone with different coloured skin to ourselves, it is that we cannot interact with them without having at the back of our minds a terrible phobia of committing a racist gaffe. It is for this reason that the label of "racist" is reached for so swiftly, because we seek to distance ourselves from racism by spotting it in others. The "racist" label merely seeks to perpetuate racial divisions, rather than doing that which will benefit society the most, and we are fortunate enough to experience in London and at the LSE, people of all races forgetting their differences and becoming ultimately colour-blind. Taking catering staff s money bacK... ...is not a fair way to treat the hardworking staff of the LSE When we, as LSE students, finally quit the LSE and start our high-paid city jobs, we are likely to pour over our contracts, looking at every technical element of how and why we are paid. Perhaps the Catering staff at the LSE do the same thing - after all, they deserve fair employment as much as anyone else. Which is what makes the apparently arbitrary docking of wages from the Catering staff at LSE particularly distasteful. Whilst their increase in pay is to be commended, asking them to work longer hours - beyond their normal time - without ensuring that they understood that they won't be paid generously in the way they had been before is beyond the pale. Perhaps worse is the way that Liz Thomas, Head of the School's Catering Staff, has justified this change. A school-wide elimination of special pay for overtime should mean exactly that. Yet the School's security staff still get extra money per hour when they work overtime. This overtime pay is easily justified but why it cannot be extended to catering staff is a mystery. Ensuring that equality is prevalent across all staffing needs to be a priority for the School - after all its only fair. Due to an IT Services email server crash several articles and letters sent to The Beaver have been lost. If the servers are restored we will do our best to publish them in the next edition. The Beaver apologises for any inconvenience caused. Letters to the Editor The Beaver offers all readers the right to reply to anything that appears in the paper. Letters should be sent to thebeaver.edltor@lse.ac.uk and should be no longer than 250 words. All letters nnust be received by 3pm on the prior to publication. The Beaver reserves the right to edit letters prior to publication. Sunday ^ "contentious issues" Dear Sir We were all in the audience during the recent lecture at LSE by Taiwan Education Minister Cheng-sheng Hi, and were sorry to see the sensationalist way in which The Beaver (16 Jan p.4) reported it. Contrary to "Timothy Root's rather negative report, the event never became "mired" in protests: the lecture was delivered without interruption, and the question session that followed afterwards was a great of example of the type of lively debate that the LSE delights in hosting - nothing beyond the kind of heckling that one expects when contentious issues are debated in public. The issue of Taiwan's sovereignty is certainly a contentious one, but we witnessed free speech and open debate from both sides of the Straits. It is a shame that Mr Root did not present any substance relating to the issues in question, or more of what Minister Tu actually had to say - particularly, perhaps, his commendation of LSE for introducing him to ideas of human rights, free speech, and democracy when he was a student at LSE. We hope that the free exchange of views that took place in the question and answer session will have a similarly educative effect on members of the audience. Dr Richard Bartholomew Dr Carol Rennie Dr Fang-Long Shih Dr Paul-Frangois Tremlett "inhibited feeling" Dear Sir I'd like to commend one Jennifer Leggett on her article in last week's Beaver regarding the plague of smoking that afflicts all of our lives. I particularly enjoyed her visions of violent street brawls developing as a result of smokers being forced to congregate outside public places, where their frustration at the inhibited feeding of their addiction would naturally ferment a frothy cauldron of revolutionary and intrinsically violent aggression. Further to her concern at a lack of dancing partners subsequent to the ban, I'd like to offer myself as a viable candidate; I presume she's heard of the student dance craze that an exponentially increasing number of Londoners are coming to herald as 'The Epstein Shuffle'... Benjamin Epstein "free Qrovocation" Dear Sir, I have been deeply upset by the cover of PartB in issue 656. PartB this year has produced graphics of high quality. However I feel that this week, the cover was more of a free provocation than carrying a real message, and that it was therefore unnecessary. Lucie Goulet consistently fails Dear Sir I write in reference to the letters regarding the appointment of Peter Sutherland which the School has published on its website. In a letter dated 9 January 2006 from Howard Davies to the SU General Secretary, Davies states that at the Court of Governors meeting in March 2006 - where Peter Sutherland was appointed -Court was 'entirely satisfied that [he] would enhance the reputation of the School', with reference to Sutherland's environmental record. This is a total misrepresentation of the concerns of the student governors that were raised. In fact, in this meeting, the two previous Council meetings and in a written letter from the then SU Executive, it is a matter of written record that I and others exercised deep concerns regarding the appointment including reference to the environmental and social abuses that Sutherland has been associated with. It is therefore incorrect to imply that Court was 'entirely satisfied' with his appointment. The School consistently fails with regards to student consultation, evidenced by the fact that due to the inconsiderate scheduling of the last Court of Governors meeting out of term-time, none of the five elected Student Governors were able to attend. It should be of deep concern to us all that School officers discredit the very students who pay their wages in order to deflect legitimate criticism from the LSE's ruling oligarchy The students and academics of LSE deserve better. James Caspell Former Student Governor and Member of Council clogged sinuses Dear Sir Yeah, basically having just read your article, the stench of self-righteous indignation has clogged my sinusses. In fact in parts it's pretty much bullshit. Take for example your three examples of things we believe in but apparently can't see: 1) OXYGEN.....did u mean air? surely we can't see air! WRONG. Liquid oxygen exists and we can see it. damn 2) GRAVITY....no here's a the ties? Cutting great one! You jump, you fall back to earth. Alternatively why the fuck do we rotate around the sun. empirical evidence. aha! Funnily enough, you state an example of something you believe in, which is pretty much at the same level of evolution scientifically -that is proven empirically to exist, without full knowledge of the exact mechanisms. The quantum and relativity theories of gravity have yet to be reconcilled, yet you don't honestly believe God is also the hand behind gravity! or do you? 3) JADE GOODY'S BRAIN.....poor humour...(and wrong again) As to God giving you a purpose?? How?? With the presupposition of God existing, you then have to argue a distinct purpose for God creating you. Which is what? I know, let's turn back to our religious books! Oh how convenient. In fact, I would argue it is the very arrogance of religious zealots that they believe they even have a purpose at all, that death is not the end. Even after all, the fact that you believe with such certainty in a God is as detestable as believing with full certainty in the non-existance of God. At least Laura Parfitt has the humility to accept the possibility that she may be wrong. Therein lies your true arrogance. To quote the great Bertrand Russell - "the problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are so certain of themselves, whilst wise men are so full of doubts". And then the return to the same tired argument of the benefits of belief. Great. To combine quasi-logic vrith "leap of faith" sentiments is just poor argument. At the end of the day the belief may have value per se, but you leap from one position of limited knowledge in whatever direction you feel fit - you undermine any logical argument with which you attempt to start. If logic is not your primary tool of argument, don't use it at all!!! And finally let's all share in religion and shed ourselves of the social burden of "drugs, drink and suicide"! Funny how the negative conotations of each of these factors are so heavily indoctrinated by religion in the first place! (you could've provided a far more sound logical argument here.... but you didn't....oh well)...may aswell have said fuck euthanasia while you were there....let's kill the gays...look it says so in the book!!!! I apologize if this email caricutures Mr Atheist, but the clear mistakes in your argument made it far to easy. Roshan Patel ¦L leaver! January 200": COMMENT&ANALYSIS COMMENT ANALYSIS c&a@thebeaveronline.co.uk A new perspective on: BLPES A Library StoiVi Hotbed of fascism Roger Lewis talks secretly of a rebellion against George Orwell's 1984 nightmare, currently coming true - in the Library... One of the proudest aspects of being a student at the London School of Economics is its strong political tradition. As an institution it will stand up for what it believes in, yet still allow a range of opinions to fester in its seminars and common rooms. The prospectus places emphasis on the 'development of new perspectives', however eccentric. Specifically the LSE has produced several key reports analysing the proposed introduction of identity cards in Britain, which despite being common on the continent, would here represent far too great an intrusion in to our day to day lives - not to mention the sky-high costs they would undoubtedly deliver. The wider national debate provoked anger from both sides of the political spectrum. With practically our every move watched by security cameras, it is feared George Orwell's dystopian nightmare of the future may not seem so far off. As we descend into ever-more powerful state apparatus, perhaps 1984 will be 2084. But remember, every encroachment would only ever be for own safety. The politics of fear and ignorance delivering security. Yet in the very institution that is so vocal in its defence of intrusive government many discover a sinister paradox: the LSE Library, otherwise understood as Airstrip One. There is even a Eacebook Group devoted to the underground resistance movement, entitled: 'I Hate the Library Fascists!'. Some may see this as a joke - there is, after all, a Facebook Group for everything, but for those regular library dwellers (which is a group we all, from time to time, are included in) this is no laughing matter. We all know the rules: phones only allowed in the designated zones, never attempt to double swipe your card for a friend to pass the turnstyles, present one's library card (or is that 'pass') on demand, no eating, no drinking, no speaking, no breathing. The list is endless. Any violation is immediately quashed, strategic officers patrolling key borders and guard posts. The first floor 'help' desk is particularly loathed, the officers churning out politely spoken 'Computer ses no' paraphrases. The they are few and far between, and probably won't last long. Big Brother will weed them out in good time. I considered sending this opinion piece anonymously, but felt I had to stand up. I may not be heard from again. If you see someone being dragged in to that rabbit warren termed 'Information Services' off the first floor, Room 101, or taken beyond the "Yet in the very institution that is so vocal in its defence of intrusive government, many discover a sinister paradox; the LSE Library, otherwise known as Airstrip One Ground Floor Reception is similarly rarely receptive, particularly when queuing to pay fines (the line of shame) or seeking to replace a lost 'pass' (request replacement at your peril). We've all been there -snapped and snarled at as we rush in and out between lectures, classes and the ticket out - those City interviews. There are of course collaborators, who will waver a fine if their overseer is out of sight -and maybe even smile! But Fourth Floor to the heavens where who knows what lies, then it may be I Silenced, erased. Library dwellers of the LSE UNITE! Laura Parfitt tells us about a day in the life of a 24-hour library dweller; if this doesn't put you off of marathon study, nothing will Hi. My name is Maura and I live in the library. I would like to tell you about a day of mine... I am rudely awoken at 4am by the gentle prodding of a robotic vacuum cleaner doing it's daily rounds, a red light flashing warning me to enter £5.35 for another hour's work. I swallow ten ProPlus tablets, which I am now addicted to, and embark on a quivering, text-filled journey. I leave my post-grad friends to take the lift down from the fourth floor and begin my scavenging hunt for food. I choose not to take the spiral staircase because it induces more frightening hallucinations than the lift does and causes foreshortening of my left leg. In the lift, I usually take a trip down to Southpark and am tormented by the voices in my caffeine-filled head claiming I killed Kenny. I arrive on the ground floor and am relieved to see Ken in his usual spot with his duffle coat zipped up to the top and hood creatine pills. I wolf them down, along with more ProPlus and soon am back to my zombie-like state. Suddenly I find myself in the Course Collection, somehow, frantically trying to issue my own tongue in the self-service machine. Surprisingly, it doesn't work and as I try to leave, my tongue sets off the alarm. Five armed security guards gallop towards me, claiming I am trying to steal a precious copy of Analysis of Financial Time Series. They trust me, but in the kafuffle I spot a geeky Actuarial Science "Suddenly I find myself in the Course Collection, somehow, frantically trying to issue my own tongue in the self-ser\dce machine. Surpsingly, it doesn't work." r-:-: ¦. Kimberley McAddams talks candidly about her experiences in the dark corners Now that the library is open 24-hours all term round, there's a need to incorporate more aspects of your life between the shelves of the BLPES. This obviously includes sex. In the interests of science, I investigated how possible having sex in the library was. In the basement, the archives have the boon of having move-able shelving, you can shift the documents to the best position to support you and your lover in the most comfortable way. Or there are toilets and mobile phone areas. But, if you're thinking ahead, the library doesn't ask you to state a purpose for needing a group study room which all have locks on the doors - and blinds! As a friend pointed out, essentially you could run a brothel from one of them. However, you should reme-ber - card checks are carried out through the night, so make sure your partner is from LSE. up. I nip to the loos, wash myself with hand-soap then dry myself as best I can with the towel attached to the dispenser and some toilet paper. Upon leaving the toilets, I spot a couple of rugby boys (whom I know to often claim to be at Crispy Duck) getting an early start to a day studying. I am embarrassed when I realise I have loo roll stuck to my face which makes me look like I'd had a bad shave. Despite this, I follow them, desperately hoping they have something edible I could borrow from their bag. I find a litre of protein shake and some student making off with that very book, only to get it stuck in the turnstile. A strange man with a beard propositions me. In my incoherent melancholy, I accept his offer. We find an empty study room and he instigates a sadomasochistic ritual involving a giant stapler and the first five volumes of the Encyclopaedia Brittanica. A Political Sociology student finds us and threatens to tell security but soon retracts his treat when I hold his USB stick to ransom. I then potter off to use the free internet and not talk to people... + + ... IS www.th ebeaveronline .co.uk In celebration of The Beavefs 58th Birthday, some intrepid Beavers have ventured onto the incredible, edible internet, and got us us a website. We've filled it with content and are awaiting your comments, which you can post online. The site is updated with all the week's content on Tuesday morning, so now you have no reason at all to go onto campus. Highlights and previews of each section All content on site fully searchable The student newspaper of the LSE Students' Union. Sports: David Bcckham Search Features; Northern IrelomI sport«?(i'ihcbo.i\TronUne.co.uic PartB: Electromc aestlwtic^ Ixalurc's;: S-vpol are sele Editor's Pick Cartoon S Seaver •yHjnO "V Search Every section, of the paper online (even the controversial Sports sec tion) The student newspaper of the LSE Students' Union. ParlBi Hniin Dvud Spui ls: Negative i'uns ¦SJeaveE; • * hf ISi." ntervlew with hXc zombies! Home I Xnvs i Feamres 1 CommemStAnalysis 1 PartB I Sports | About The Beaver | Contact Us Beaver cartoons, graphics an photograi" past an^ presenS^ view All Every article in the paper printea in full Palestine debate ends in controversy Controversy arising from the passage of a Union General Meeting (UGM) motion to twinj the LSE Students' Union (SU) with a Palestinian university, escalated Into a dispute between two students outside the Old Theatre and resulted in an early closure of the meeting. The motion, which was proposed by Ziyaad Lunat and seconded by Naama Nagar, recommended that the LSE be matched with a Palestinian university and affiliate with the Right to Education campaign based at Birzeit University in Palestine, Posted S days aoo Cgmment Feminist and Proud? When 1 say I am a feminist, I am frequentiyj met by looks of disbelief; I am told it Is an anachronism and that the world has moved on. And when other women touch upon Issues of gender inequality, they often seem to feel forced into prefixing their statements with, "I'm not a feminist but.." which, I suppose, roughly translates as "I do shave my legs, I'm not a lesbian and I lo not hate men." It is clear that to many people, feminism has become a dirty word, Poacfid 6 4. mo STUDENTSm The Vladical Left features C«thebeaveronline.co.Ilk The Right Approach H 1 Vladimir wt i Unkovski ra 1 -Korica Smash capitalism and replace it with something better. That has been the sentiment of literaUy millions across the world after the events of Chiapas and Seattle in the 1990s. Beyond the creative spirit and humour of the alter-globalisation movement that is embodied in this slogan, there lies a serious debate of what alternatives there are to the devastation of the world market and just how change should be accomplished. In the climate of rebellion and struggle of the years since, it is in Latin America that the debate has reached its zenith. It is a direct result of the revolutionary insurrections that have drawn in populations across the continent. Starting with land seizures in Peru, revolt among the indigenous people of Ecuador, street protests in Argentina, waves of insurrection in Bolivia, a land reform movement in Brazil, the birth of a new politics in Uruguay, and a popular reversal of a coup in Venezuela all shook the neo-libera! status quo. In several of these countries, left populist figures rose to prominence, contested and even won presidential elections. These deep convulsions, symptoms of chaotic and profound tremors inherent to global capitalism, have allowed for strategic debates to become questions of concrete importance. Do we 'change the world without taking power' like in Chiapas? Do we establish 'a state of revolutionary popular power in permanent tension with capitalism and imperialism' like in Cuba? Or, do we go for a 'political instrument that can bring together those fighting for democracy in the workplace and the community' that the workers and indigenous communities of Bolivia and Venezuela have given us a glimpse of? The most radical of the new regimes to arise from this tide of revolt is in Venezuela. It warms the heart of an old Trot like me that the leader of the Bolivarian movement President Hugo Chavez has recently stated: "Trotsky said that the revolution was permanent, it never finishes. Let's go with Trotsky." Chavez has re-nationalised the electricity network and the biggest telecommunications company, and replaced two social-democratic leaders with a self-declared communist and a Trotskyist. Framing these changes as part of the offensive against the capitalist state, he has also proposed the establishment of new municipal communes as part of a thorough reform of the bureaucratic state apparatuses, as well as the unification of all revolutionary political parties into a single pro-Bolivarian bloc. But there is a danger that Chavez's decrees from above may unwittingly strengthen those who prefer a permanent tension between movement and power (changing the world without taking power) or the establishment of a Cuban-style dictatorship (with the state bureaucracy effectively absorbing the revolutionary vanguard). Permanent revolution has to be about more than imposing transformation from above. The soul of the Bolivarian revolution, as well as that of change continent-wide, remains undecided between radical reform from above and revolutionary struggle from below. But the debate cannot end there. Ultimately, the revolutionary movements across Latin America will be faced with the question of whether to fall one by one or to listen to Simon Bolivar and stand united. Pablo Neruda, the Chilean poet and revolutionary, leaves us with no doubt as to where our allegiances should lie. 'I came upon Bolivar, one long morning in Madrid, at the entrance to the Fifth Regiment. Father, I said to him, are you, or are you not, or who are you? And, looking at the Mountain Barrack, he said: * 'I awake ievety hundred years when the " -people awake', fl Notes on Nothing LSE has enough economists for me not to have to explain the value of competition and the disadvantages of monopoly. By virtue of being the only student newspaper on campus this is the very position in which The Beaver finds itself. It is therefore important that any organisation in the same situation keeps itself in check which we attempted to do in November of last year when we conducted a survey into our readership and their opinions of the paper This week we have run a feature highlighting those results and your feedback on the direction The Beaver is taking. The purpose of this wasn't just self-obsession but was to ensure that The Beaver never loses sight of its objective; to inform and entertain the student body. That student body is not to be found in any one particular section of the School; the Quad, the library or the Three Ilins. Nor should our view of the student body be characterised by the vocal minority, or ignore those don't care about Crush, the UGM and Peter Sutherland. The Beaver is for students and over the coming weeks Features will ensure that this remains the case. There also shouldn't be any contradiction between national issues and those on campus - by being an intensely political entity in the centre of London there are few things which don't impact on us here at LSE and Features will strive to present that. This week Features will be examining the role of the media; how the people who report the news also shape it. At present the media is undergoing an identity crisis. The concept of broadcasting was originally designed in days when communication was poorer and information ¦> harder to come by and the news media served a fundamentally practical purpose. However today the problem lies not with a scarcity of information but an overdose of it. The consumer cannot possibly process information as fast as it arrives, so the media steps in. Here the role of agenda-setting becomes vital. Since none of us have time to find out all of the day's news and then decide what interests us the most, we allow the media to decide for us. But it is in sacrificing this right to prioritise that the media has its hold over us. Stories which are deemed 'important' are flagged up and everything else marginalised. Rarely, if ever, does this reflect any kind of hidden agenda or conspiracy on the part of the news media. However, their influence becomes self-perpetuating. A journalist becomes empowered to investigate on your behalf and thus what they decide is newsworthy is all that ever becomes newsworthy. Whether this is as dangerous as it sounds is another issue. More often than not, only good journalism (and that means responsible journalism too) sells papers. The sentencing of Clive Goodman last week for his part in tapping the phone of Prince Charles and his staff shows that the tide is slowly turning against the self-interested hacks and paparazzi. Furthermore in recent years many journalists have used their influence to bring major issues to the world's attention. Two of our writers this week question how the media has presented major issues and whether it's true that close observation always has an affect on what is observed. Can presentation and content ever be separated? ¦ VViuif would (jeoi-gc FEATURES Credits Head of Politics Desk: Charlie Dougherty Head of Society Desk: Rosamund Urwin Head of Business/Careers/Law Desk: Soumya Gupta Political Correspondents: Greg VWiite, Ben Glanforti Business Correspondent: MeryemTorun We woul^ like to apologise for miscrediting last week's article,"Give capitalism a chance ". The article was actually written by Giles Wilkes. Sam Bvurike "T- J.I 't's good to talk." It was a great maxim to sell telecoms, but there's a deeper .lesson here for all of us. Dialogue is something I think we could all do with a little more of, and over the past week I've been especially struck by its importance and the perils of isolationism - for left and right alike. The LSE's great strength is talking. There's an inescapable articulation of particular causes, political ideologies, and even cultures across our campus. We should not forget that political apathy and moral ambivalence is rampant across most universities in the UK. We're lucky at the LSE; most people have an opinion and most people have something to say. But how many of us are listening to what is being said? How many of us listen before we speak? My guess is not enough. Let me give you an example which exposes my own frailties in this area. On spotting the feminist stall in The Quad, I made my approach: "Ladies," I said, "I have good news! The battle is over." The girls looked rather puzzled. I went on,"That's right, no need to carry on fighting - equal opportunity for women is here and many of them choose to look after their families." To my astonishment, these feminists were in broad agreement with my point: the strive for equal numbers of men and women in various professions can show flagrant disregard for instances where a mother wants to raise her children rather than paying someone else for childcare. They recognised the mistakes of many feminists in not giving attention to the maternal instinct of women and the desire to be a homemaker. It left me feeling a little embarrassed at the brash vvay I had put forward my point. The Sutherland affair i^ another case in point. It was wrong that Sir Peter Sutherland was not given a chance to speak at last term's protest and answer some of the allegations made about him. I was appalled at this manifest disrespect for free speech (which was the same right the protesters relied on to justify their protest). However, in spite of this stupidity, I happen to think that the best way to investigate - these allegations against - Sir Sutherland^, is through a proper debate amongst th^ students of the LSE, which would be best seryed by a referendum. Nothing facilitates dialo^e more than democracy, which is certainly better than backroom manoeuvrings by the student seats at the Court of Governors. In this ca^",8s in many others, I fear that the search for tirath' (the only meaningful life-phi-losophy) has been lost in a clash of egos and partisanship of the worst order. Dominique Pire, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1958) and Dominican priest, saw dialogue as essential to life. The clarity of his insight is striking: "To dialogue means to look beyond the boundaries of one's conviction for the duration of the dialogue to share the heart and spirit of the other, without abandoning any part of one's self, in order to understand, judge and appreciate the real goodness and usefulness present in the thoughts, feelings and actions of the other." Self-sacrifice is something rarely on the menu at the LSE. If only it was tried a little more often. When people from different perspectives stand together the movement is difficult to stop. The genocide raging in Darfur is a universal issue. Muslims, Jews, Christians, humanists, left-wing, right-wing and many others must come together in dialogue and stand in solidarity with their fellow man. We recognise that crimes against humanity are crimes against us all. Why is it, though, that we have to wait until we fall so far before we start to listen to one another? Perhaps, if we started the process a little earlier, we might avoid some of these catastrophes. Perhaps we might convince others of our views. Or maybe something altogether more unsettling would happen - we Wotild leam something. JB ' . ¦ . ¦ < j ' t The Media and War Wong Chun Han argues that when it comes to conflict on celluloid, there's more thjan meets the eye 4fr f Sheen as Willard in Apocalypse Noiv, I96r» street execution of a Vi<;t Cong officer, helicopter.- desi-ftftd Into Mogadishu in Blnck Hawk Down Will Somalia be sixteenth-time lucky? Since the start of revolutionary movements against former President Siad Barre in 1986, Somalia had spiralled into an anarchic cesspit which it has yet to recover from. An entire generation Like it or not the free press is never trulv free has grown up with no knowledge of peace. Before the recent turn of events which seem to offer new hope to the weary Somalis, you may recall the best chance they had since the conflict began was in 1992 with UN Security Council Resolution 794. It mandated intervention to alleviate the growing humanitarian crisis. However, the initial lifeline that was thrown to Somalia was not from the United Nations or the US Operation Restore Hope, but a riveting Time magazine cover photo of a starving Somali child. Its first hope came from the mass media. Possibly the first contribution the media had in influencing the outcome of a conflict came with Vietnam, the first televised war. Erik.Du^chmied,, a renowned war correspondent and military historian, remarks in his bestselling book The Hinge Factor that the turning point in Vietnam was in fact a notorious photograph and newsreel. The infamous 1968 street execution of a Viet Cong officer by South Vietnamese Police Chief Nguyen Ngoc Loan is one of the iconic photos and newsreels of the Vietnam War. Interestingly, although the photograph brought Eddie Adams the Pulitzer Prize in 1969, the photographer himself insisted that it was taken out of context of the fighting which occurred during the 1968 Tet Offensive. Adams proclaimed that Nguyen was a hero and apologized for taking the photo that tarnished Nguyen's name. Adams wrote about his photograph in Time magazine: "Still photographs are the most powerful weapon in the world. People believe them, but photographs do lie, even without manipulation. They are only half-truths... What the photograph didn't say was, 'What would you do if you were the general at that time and place on that hot day, and you caught the so-called bad guy after he blew away one, two or three American soldiers? How do you know you wouldn't have pulled the trigger yourself?"The atrocity was aired to the world that very night; the American public became convinced that they were fighting on the wrong side in the wrong war. One man's death, as Durschmied described it, doomed the US war effort. And as they say, the rest is history. Behold the power of mass media. Visual imagery often leaves the most lasting and profound impact. A picture paints a thousand words, and a well-placed cameraman could secure himself a place in history by immortalizing a defining moment in human conflict. However, it is a doubled-edged sword, and the media can destroy as much as it can promise. Following their Pyrrhic victory in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu ,US forces were withdrawn by President Clinton. Graphic footage of US serviceman being publicly lynched proved to be the final straw. Ironically, the very same media pressure, which cajoled a clyeless US military into resolving a conflict it did not understand, was responsible for its withdrawal. Unpredictable as the media backlash may be, doing without the media proves no more attractive. Less than a year later in the same continent, the almost blatant absence of media coverage of the Rwandan genocide precipitated a woeful international response. The US, still licking its wounds from Somalia, refused to use the term "genocide", and the UN security council refused reinforcements for the undermanned UNAMIR despite the heroic, albeit desperate, appeals of Lt-Gen Romeo Dallaire. In the Academy-award winning film No Man's Land, Sergeant Marchand, the disillusioned peacekeeper, observes that neutrality does not exist in the face of murder, and doing nothing to prevent it is in fact taking sides. As much as news agencies like to believe that they are providing objective and factual reporting, Marchand's lament rings tme. By electing not to cover certain _ hotspots, and ignoring other humanitarian disasters and blood-baths, choices are made and sides are taken. While the Hezbollah rocket attacks and Israeli invasion of Lebanon were covered 24/7 with in depth analyses and commentaries, anarchy in Sudan and bitter civil wars in Sri Lanka and Nepal were barely given the odd newsflash and almost patronizing lip service. To be cjTiical , the media chose who to let live and who to let die. The newsworthi-ness of a conflict is prejudiced by national, commercial or perhaps even personal interests. Like it or not, the free press is never truly free. Having highlighted the pervasiveness and influence of the s'-i" ,.v v"* mass media, it is perhaps fitting to draw attention to a film for illustration. The opening credits of Hitler: The Rise of Evil served up an austere reminder: "The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing." Nazi denouncer Fritz Gerlich's voice of reason ultimately cost him his life. Journalistic freedom also appears to be on the wane at the frontlines. Reporters' movements and coverage are restricted while being embedded in US and British forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Independent war correspondents are marred with tragedies like Terry Lloyd's. With an apparent open season declared on journalists, fewer news agencies are willing to send crews to hotspots and events deserving international attention slip through the spotlight. Even if media coverage does extend to the conflict, it does not guarantee attention. While intense media coverage focused worldwide attention on Iraq, the Afghan conflagration slowly faded into the background. In an age of news and information proliferation, even the most sensational of stories do not live long in the collective memory. Can we realistically expect news agencies to cover every frontline and report on every conflict? It may be over optimistic to demand so much, but the alternative could be the unthinkable. Reruns of Rwanda, Darfur, or Sri Lanka are possible. Sadly, even if the conflicts are covered, it doesn't guar- a n t e e international action. News is perhaps one area where capitalism and competition fails the consumer. Rival news networks "The only thing required for evil to tiiumph is for good men to do nothing" compete for ratings not by providing balanced and informed analyses, but with sensational reporting and gripping graphics. The complex realities behind the myriad of compelling visuals may very well be lost on the uninformed viewer. We often find ourselves in a situation where we know what is happening, yet do not understand what is happening.Yet it is with such half-baked knowledge and superficial understandings that people are compelled to act. Perhaps we, the gullible consumers of the prodigious news output of the information age, need to exercise more caution. It may well be that the things left unsaid carry more weight than what appears on the headlines. Seeing should not equate to believing; there's always more than meets the eye. In the words of Eddie Adams, photographs dp lie, eve^ .vvjthout manipulation. ¦ 14 leaver j 30 January 2007 THE BEAVER OFF CE Managing PaitB Editor f...- J. at Union debate I i'liMpiii (nm 1 ^ (*« »<'a4*> . fcVV i-i UTi-ai*^ C-«oai i -- .""vauv ?S'swei rUiV ¦«*>?• -rt- UA Director seeks solitude H- MA tiML ^ www * 11—II tt < -- ----, fc'Wji litv* «MkirykllM«trA'i»l» iw «*—I'M. kr A<«, t ^ «««•» ff W* ia^ (pm*. 4.. * t-** .ff»' faJBrt TWy 2» jy.- Wi * . 7S?r, two tuesday the thirtieth of January, two thousand and seven Arcade Fire Interview Almost sold-out gigs from Montreal six-piece a lot of critics and a lot of people like a lot. Fifty tickets per show reserved for sale on the door. Also called sunup in some American English dialects, the time at which the first part of the Sun appears above the horizon in the east. Sunrise should not be confused with dawn, which is the (variously defined) point at which the sky begins to lighten, some time before the sun itself appears, ending twilight A colourful chat with Eugene Hiitz Where: St Johns Square, SWIP when: 30th & 31st How much: £16 Church, Smith Where: Horizon When: After dawn; 7.40am-ish, all week The Internet The Beaver is now online, finally making the real world entirely superfluous Somewhere to conclude your weekend; a weekly love-song/power ballad night in a food-serving pub near Notting Hill. Where: The Pelican, All Saints Rd, Wll When: Sunday nights from 7pm ,4' The time when the upper limb of the sun disappears below the sensible horizon as a result of the diurnal rotation of the earth (no adjustment made for elevation of observer or atmospheric refraction). where: Horizon (other side) When: A quarter to fve or thereabouts. Style Turbans have been adopted by people who make fashion - possibly a bit offensive Food & Drinking My Old Dutch serves pancakes with everything Film Dreamgirls and the cinematic nonsense-power of montage Music Jamie T sings about drinking and drinks about singing cheatcexom ptfoiier mollytucker cant caTiprrafier joshheller cartooTi cooQprroiier alexsmall style coraptro'lef abaosuhsade \'iSLi5i arts corr-Dtfofer daisymitchefl-forster U3V& campaane' iessicamcardle ffefi co-T'Dtroiief angustse food & dfiftfefiQ i.ornpaoii kimmandeng literatufe cotnptroiier erinorozco eaitoriai assistant beafong thebeaver.Dartb@lse.ac.uk This week, whilst uploading The Beaver to it's new home on the interweb, Daniel accidentally uploaded his entire being onto one of PartB's computers. Thinking quickly, I downloaded a virus, condemning Daniel to a grisly virtual death. Dan protested, but there's only so much you can do when you're a disembodied computer file. My lust for complete control of PartB sated, I then realised that my plan had spectacularly backfired when I had to layout the entire section myself, not to mention conducting an interview with gypsy punk Eugene Hiitz, which went spectacu larly badly when I horribly offended him, causing him to instantly terminate the conversation. surfs up, tuesday the thirtieth of January, two thousand and seven three the internet vs real life http://www.erin.orozco.uk emilyding sent this by snnoke signal In the morning, I reluctantly roll out of bed. I take a shower, put on makeup, and do other things that are necessary before actually leaving the house. Then, because it is winter, I bundle up and brace myself against the dreaded cold. Finally, I make it out the door and am almost immediately trampled by the onslaught of oncoming commuters also making their way to packed Tube stations and buses. During my brisk walk, I am harangued by an unacceptable amount of newspaper vendors barking variations of the phrase "free London newspaper" at me while pushing said item into my face or hands, whichever happens to be free. If I'm lucky enough to make it to school on time, I am inevitably faced with human interaction, usually with the person sneezing contagiously next to me in lecture. After hours in poorly lit libraries and computer labs, occasionally taking breaks to pay inflated prices for easily prepared food, I then repeat my journey in reverse back home, encountering even greater transport delays and even grumpier, ruder people making the same trek back. The end result is some new sort of illness, a general misgiving fraction of the original retailer's cost. Even food is being sold online and delivered fresh from the market. There's no need to queue, bag, or worry about how much food you can carry back to your flat. It's all taken care of for you. What about using the Internet for entertainment? Why Is the Internet so much better than actually going to see a movie or watching live music? Firstly I'd like to point out that doing these things in the 'real world' are still fun. People will always go to cinemas and clubs for the atmosphere, and that is perfectly acceptable because it is hard to believe that the Internet will one day be able to completely monopolize all of human activity. (Can you imagine a computer doing brain surgery on a human as an at-home procedure? Awesome.) Anyway, I can assure that most people who do go out to clubs or shows plan their evening beforehand using the Internet, and in fact, might have been unaware of the event itself if it weren't for the web. Second, there is content on the Internet that is otherwise unavailable to the general public. For instance, there is a bevy of internet cartoons that are better than any amount of scheduled television pro- Much as the next person, I can't live without the Internet. But that doesn't mean I like what it's doing to i me, to us. Sure, it's not all bad, but consid-¦ ering what most people use the Internet for, ; I think it's significantly decreased our qual-; ity of life. i Take MSN for example. Destroyer of itime. Procrastination aide #1. The waste-i land of melodramatic nicknames. For many j people it's a way of keeping in touch with I geographically challenged friends, but for I some people, it's the first step to getting to know somebody. Whatever happened to old fashioned hand-wringing under the table and collusions of eye contact and racking ¦your brains for something interesting to i say? There's no substitute for real meetings I between familiar strangers. Some people isay MSN makes it easier to make a good 'first impression. I say it's not making an ! impression at all. It takes zero effort and . breeds complacency. ' Yet talking online allows you to multi-' task right? While you're chatting to some-: body you can listen to music, watch videos, ^ read and even study. The latter is of course bullshit. But do you know what really annoys me? It's the fact that some people think they can multitask when they're talk- there's nothing like the mutual bond of trust, the organic twisting chord that binds two people when they've opened up to one another. There is simply no substitute for being truly honest with another himan being. There's nothing like a touch on the hand or a hug or a kind word when you're feeling blue. The internet also suppresses any pedantic attitudes we might have to the pursuit of knowledge. I mean yes we can find things out a lot easier now, just google it. But too much of the time we tend to take everything at face value. We don't go further anymore. Wikipedia says that? "Oh it's probably right" we say. However, anyone can post anything on Wikipedia, just as they can post anything on the web. Also, because Wikipedia is a wildly popular website, other people link their sites to it. It has no copyright either, meaning anyone can copy from it and put that information on their own website. The result of this is that to corroborate Wikipedia you check other websites, unwittingly reading repeated information. There's no accountability anymore. In fact, a friend of mine once added his name to a list of kings on Wikipedia, of what country I cannot now remember. But he basically added a Kettle Chips flavour as r, m ifmtTT'o^ towards humanity, and a wad of cash missing from my wallet. Is this really necessary? I don't mean to sound like an antisocial jerk, but much of the average day-to-day experience is admittedly undesirable. The Internet offers us the opportunity to opt out of that. Just think of the least enjoyable bits of your day and I can guarantee that there's a way of circumventing those experiences via the Internet. For example, if I worked or schooled from home, I could set my own hours. I wouldn't have to wear layers upon layers of clothing just to leave the house. The toll that stress inevitably takes upon my attempts to use public transport would vanish, leaving me not only more relaxed and good-natured, but also about five quid more the richer. This doesn't just apply to one's career or education. The Internet simplifies other activities such as shopping, travelling, and communication. Travel agents are now archaic. Soon shops will go the same way. Tired of buying a pair of jeans fifteen different strangers tried on before you? Cut out the middle man and just buy direct from the stockroom online. All you need for an accurate sizing is a measuring tape. And while shipping obviously adds a certain amount onto the total, consider the overall price after factoring in time saved, travelling costs, and special discounts retailers sometimes use to promote their website. Even better, use ebay and get it for a grams. Some examples include Backseat Kiss (http://backseatkiss.com/), Homestar Runner (http://homestarrun-ner.com/), the creations of David Firth (www.fat-pie.com), College University (http://collegeuniv.com/html/), and Weebls Stuff (http://www.weebls-stuff.com/). Quite frankly, I wouldn't want to live in a world where these entertaining options didn't exist. They are often more creative and more hilarious than anything the mainstream entertainment industry can produce, and on top of that, it's free. The same argument can be applied to music. MySpace is the new Mecca for artists trying to build a fan base and there is a surprising amount of independent talent out there that wouldn't normally be accessible. Ultimately, the Internet liberates us. It not only allows our ideas to be disseminated on a larger scale; it also gives us greater freedom of choice. You don't have to pay £7.50 to see a movie you may not enjoy. You don't have to spend hours burrowing your way through the crowds on Oxford Street on a cold afternoon just to find the perfect black dress. Hell, you don't even have to talk to people face-to-face (that is the point of MSN Messenger and AIM after all, right?). The Internet is one of the most important revolutions in human progress, and anyway I'm down with anything A1 Gore invented. - ing to me. There I am: facing you, talking to iyou, and you're off typing hurried lines to somebody you can't see, chuckling to your-jself at something I'm excluded from. (Whatever happened to courtesy and good ' manners? ¦ Another thing, what about ridiculous ¦transfer of Internet lingo to real life. I've 'actually heard somebody say 'LOL' and ! 'ROTFLMAO' after I told him a stoiy. I was ' dumbstruck, shocked that any human being • could consider this acceptable language to iuse. If that doesn't signal the end of all ; civilisation then I simply don't know what does. Moving on: blogs. The personal blog, to : be precise. Blogs that offer insights into the current issues plaguing society contribute to the public discourse. But journals that ! detail every private thought and feeling? ; Every thing you did for the day? You're i much better off talking to a friend over cof-jfee and telling them what you've done. Because trust me, when you've written i something out you don't want to tell it over. And some people come to the point where : they only do things so they can blog about ' it. Furthermore some people get so addicted ; they only want to stay home and blog, thus cutting any ties to the real world. Rather than blogging about things why not get out ¦ there and experience life for what it really ' is? Then maybe what your blog will actual-! ly be interesting. Some argue that personal blogs are the !; only way you leam about people. The cyber I reality allowing people scope to be much imore honest than they are in real life. But his middle name for flair, gave himself a title. He's probably still royalty. Another epidemic: online shopping. You rack up a credit and you think you can afford more than you really can. You take potshots at which sizes will suit you.You get used to buying things without trying them on, and so you do the same when you're actually walking down Oxford Street, and then when the clothes or shoes don't fit you're too lazy to exchange them, so you keep them. And you end up with a big hole in your pocket. Anyway, one can always do with a second opinion. That's what shopping buddies are for. And it might be the only way you get a change of wardrobe. Last but not least, youtube. The new revolution. The new piracy. The new solitude. What happened to going to the cinema? What happened to watching TV - the domestic family affair? Of course youtube is more than just watching butchered episodes of One Tree Hill, it's also about user generated content, which is great. But that in no way detracts from the fact that people are now so comfortable sitting in front of their computers that they see no reason to move. Everything we want just a click away. But when people spend all day in front of the internet, that ends up being what they talk about - "Hey, that youtube clip's hilarious!" People don't share themselves as much. They don't talk about the things they've been up to because obviously they haven't done anything but sit at the computer all day. Indeed the more you're online, the less interesting a person you become. 'ri'zn -y ¦: • T -I- B. four tuesday the thirtieth of January, two thousand and seven hiitz attacks kevinpeny talks to singer, actor and gypsy punk eugenehute alDout tfie new documentary ttiat follows him back to the Ukraine, 'the pied piper of hOtzovina', and manages to piss him off by asking if he'd ever settle down "N; "ow really isn't a good time," says Pavla Fleischer. In the background I can hear a man's voice, shouting questions for her to relay to me. "Where is he from? Who publishes his paper?" I answer his questions for her, and she tells me to call back in another couple of hours. This is not the most typical nor the most auspicious start to an interview, even in the ramshackle world of PartB, and I am already beginning to sense bad vibrations lurking in the ether. I have a horrible suspicion that the man's voice was Eugene Hutz's. Unfortunately, Pavla has made me promise that the interview will focus on the new documentary that she has made about Hiitz, and the fact that he will be performing in London with the traditional gypsy band The Kolpakov Trio. I'm not allowed to mention his day job, which means that I can't tell you that he is the lead singer of notorious New York gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello, famed for their riotous live shows, or that he is a talented actor, as seen when he portrayed Alex alongside Elijah Wood in the adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's 'Everything is Illuminated'. What I can tell you is that after meeting the documentary maker Pavla Fleischer in 2004 he agreed to let her make a film. The Pied Piper of Hutzovina, about his trip across the Ukraine in search of the traditional gypsy music that he loves. Adding intrigue to the tale is the fact that she proposed the film in part as a way to spend more time with him, having found herself falling into what she called "a strange sort of obsessive love" following their initial brief encounter. I ring back and Pavla answers. She sounds much more positive this time around, and passes me over to Eugene quickly. With a certain amount of trepidation, I begin the interview by asking him how he is finding London. "Well, what can I say? I'm back again. I like it." So far, so brief - Mr Hiitz is obviously not one for small talk. I hurry on to my first proper question: would he have made the trip to the Ukraine if the film had not been being made? "Absolutely! It's not the first time I've done the trip, in fact I do a similar trip every year. There's going to be another one in May. The film is just of one of them." But would you ever have thought to make a film out of your experiences if you hadn't met Pavla? "Maybe not" I pause, hoping for elaboration, but he refuses to fill the silence and I press on regardless. "Like Hot and Cold" The film shows a number of older gypsies who react badly when Eugene plays them his music, because they believe that the traditional folk music should not be bastardised into the punk version that Gogol Bordello play. I ask whether he was surprised by this negative reaction? "No, I've always seen a clash. With my music, some people love it and some people hate it. It's a big community, so it can be like hot and cold. But I wiU continue on that path because it's the only path I feel. Hopefully through my own search I can help other people to find their paths. For example, I met a lot of people who were Romany kids who were taken away from their families in the 70s and relocated to places like Switzerland and Austria, and those are the people who are my fans, I also work with a lot of young gypsy kids, well, young and old. But 80% of the reaction I meet is very positive. Conflict is very rare. But there will always be some conflict, you know? I mean, there are so many different kinds of gypsies, it's like night and day, I feel like I'm part of a swirl of finding out what a gypsy really is. But there is one man who everyone agrees about, and that is the man sat next to me now." That man would be Sasha Kolpakov, a legendary Romany musician who has long been the star attraction at the Theater "Romen" in Moscow, the only Roma theatre in the world, and has toured North America with his Kolpakov Trio. "Sasha is one of the artists who can settle down the controversy. It's such an honour for a musician to become a band mate of your hero. But also I think he saw elements of what I can bring in, in a refreshing and organic way. But even within The Kolpakov Trio there has always been an organic mix. One of Sasha's old band mates, who unfortunately is now dead, was actually a Carpathian gypsy, so he was much more Hungarian, but they all share a love of the raw folklore, so all types of gypsy music can be married in an organic way. It's all Eastern European." A 14-vear-old refugee Eugene moved from the Ukraine to Burlington, Vermont after the Chernobyl nuclear accident. He was a refugee aged 14. I ask him whether he thinks his music would be more traditional if he had remained in the Ukraine, and to what extent being exposed to punk music in America affected him. "Actually, I think I would be more of a punk if I had stayed. I was already exposed to punk music in the Ukraine, but being in America made me crave what I was missing. I think as an artist you are always trying to fill the void with what you lack. I've always been attracted to the super-raw, exciting forms of music. When I moved to New York I was in a number of different bands - punk, industrial, metal - and I was always trying to bring it into a more traditional setting, sometimes literally. But the influence of what I was lacking grew over time, it's been how I feel for decades now though, you know?" On the film's website, Pavla writes that Eugene did not like the original edit of the film, and that even after re-editing he told her that there was "no fucking way" that the film could ever come out. I ask whether he feels that now, attending a major screening of the film, he feels that he has grown to accept or even enjoy it? "I think so. I have a very directorial mind, so it can be difficult for me, but I've been an actor before and experienced being directed. / think as cn artist you ore '/wa n// the void wirr what you lack, ve always been jtfracted to the super-raw. exciting forms of music mSPer the first c! ¦ J. so I have some experience of having to allow other perspectives. And while it was painful at first I am learning to let go. Also, you know, while it is nice to be told that you are doing well, I don't get bent out of shape by crazy critics. Some people just get paid to write bullshit." Bad vibes all around. Hutz's voice is getting accusatory, and I have little doubt that he suspects that I am a crazy critic getting paid to write bullshit. Fortunately, the moment passes, and he continues. "But yes, I have grown from the experience and grown to love the film. I actually think that some of most mind-blowing stuff is stuff that I wasn't involved in. For example, the performances of the musicians that we managed to capture when we were stumbling about were incredible." The film is described in it's official press release as chronicling Eugene's search for gypsy music, do you think you found what you were looking for? "I don't think that I was searching. I have been there before and I knew exactly what I wanted. I crave it. I can't let go of it. I don't know what the fuck it is, but it always draws me back to the Ukraine." "T .istpn, T am never moving back" Eugene seems to be warming to his subject, but I make a mistake when I ask him whether he would ever move back to the Ukraine permanently? "Absolutely not. I never belonged there in the first place. What the fuck?" He pauses. "Listen, I am never moving back to the Ukraine." The line goes dead. Did I touch a nerve? Should you never ask a gypsy musician whether he'd consider settling dovm? Or did I just catch him on an off day, stressed out by press commitments the day before the premiere of a documentary which lays bare his incredibly personal trip across his estranged homeland and the intimate nature of his relationship with the film's director? I attempt to ring back, if only to apologise to Pavla for offending Eugene, but the phone goes straight to answer phone. So that's that. Interview over What have we learnt from this debacle? Well, we've leamt that punk musicians are not the most amiable conversationalists and that going into an interview with a long list of off-limits topics makes for unsatisfying questions, but perhaps what has also been demonstrated is that it is often the most passionate and angry of individuals that make the most challenging and provocative art. Eugene Hiitz, the Pied Piper of Hutzovina, is certainly doing that. The film was shown at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, which has loads of events on, most of which sound pretty cool. Check them out at www.ica.org.uk f tuesday the thirtieth of January, two thousand and seven B. SIX tuesday the thirtieth of January, two thoi I lie Beaver Microsoft Internet Hxplorer £ile £dit Fjvorites Tools H«'p '.'J ' favorites i Q SQCk ' Address httpr/Vvw/'A'.thebeaveronline.co.uk,' GoglcjjC 2^0^^ S I ^ Bookmarks-^ ^2 blocked | Check ' AutoLink ' „;AutC'Fiil ii^SendtC'' Search "3 S Go ; Links 1 ) Settings^ I 'ft ^ The student newspaper of the LSE Students' Union. Saturday, January 27, 2007 7:19 PM f'Vutares; Svpdi l*artH: Brum Dvnd SiX>rt.'s: Acyrtfav Fom ^ervlew with hXc zombie Home I Nexvs i Features | Comment&Analysis | PartB | Sports I About The Beaver | ContactUs tev/ Tools ae

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Fa y': Go Search toDlbox ______ ¦ What links here ¦ Related changes ¦ Upload file ¦ Special pages ¦ Printable version ¦ Pemnanentllnk • Cite this article CEN SOIMJB!. b 3.1 Notable suicides by hanging irv other lanpuaaes [edit] i The OED states that hanging in this sense is speaficaHy to pijt to death by suspension by the neck, although it fonneriy also referred to crucifixion. i 4 Medical effects 5 Notable references by country (political) 5.1 Australia 5.2 Brazil der - Q Facebook Grou... | Q Ebay User Sum...| S How To Hang Y... | 02:00 tuesday the thirtieth of January, two thousand and seven suburban turban jenniferleggett politically corrects haute couture Prada's latest catwalk show for Spring 2007 prompted fashion chatter not simply because of the jewelled, rich silks and high-necked dresses daringly out of place in a Spring collection, but more noticeably due to the revival of the turban as a stylish female head-piece. For those of you who peruse the Financial Times rather than Vogue in your spare time, the word 'revival' may come as a bit of a shock, but it is indeed true that the turban made its fashion debut long before Victoria Beckham could even say 'fashion whore', let alone be one. In the 50's and 60's the uniform of Hollywood's ultra chic was completed with a turban worn on the back of the head. However, its return to the style scene causes concern on both the religious and aesthetic fronts. I wonder whether today's seemingly vulnerable society of cultural diversity and staunch political correctness can cope with such ostentatious religious apparel dictating fashion trends. I mean, a nation of "sailors" in nautical stripes and espadrilles is one thing - but is Britain really ready for sacred adornment? Most identifiable with the Sikh religion, turbans are worn to protect the sanctified, uncut hair of those who enter into the"Khalsa". A symbol of faith and dedication, and traditionally associated with power, it is viewed by many as an integral part of the religion. Its significance was only highlighted in 2005 when the French government's ban on wearing visible religious symbols in public schools was met with, amongst other protests, the passionate defence of the right to wear turbans by Sikhs. On approaching the issue with one member of the LSE Sikh community, he suggested that, despite having a liberal attitude himself, older, more traditional members of the religion "might not take it so lightly" - hinting at potential unrest if the turban were to explode onto the fashion agenda more publicly. With contemporary fashion trends being more 'throw-away' than 'here-to-stay', the turban as a fashion item has a slight air of disrespect. However, none of this seems to have occurred to Muiccia Prada, who seems more concerned with the way in which a neatly placed turban can accentuate one's cheekbones (Vogue, Feb 2007). I'm sure that's right up there with the kara and the kir-pan for your average \ Sikh! ^ On the other hand, perhaps I am being too sensitive, and am simply a victim of the politically correct society in which we live. The cross of Christianity i made a seamless transi- / tion into the world of fashion, causing not even a ripple in the pond of controversy. , Then again, being advocated more by the f high street (think | . 'Claire's Accessories') » f ^ than high fashion (think 'Cartier'), it was probably always going to make less of an impact than the turban has the potential to. My second (and possibly more permissible) concern is that the iconic Audrey Hepbum-esque women of the early 20th century, who could actually get away with wearing a turban, are an extinct breed. Nowadays, the bestselling fashion magazines are more interested in celebrity cellulite than the iiber-stylish. The sleek silhouette of a classical beauty • with a sophisticated 'top- knot' starkly contrasts with the modem day vision of the likes of (dare I say it) Jade Goody attempting to follow in the footsteps of the so-called 'fashion-forward' by wearing a turban. The celeb-fashion showdown played out round-by-, round in 'Heat' magazine causes all atten-\ tion-hungry stars to adorn whatever Vogue dictates. Unfortunately, this attitude also means such stars keep ; "does my bum look big in this?'/'do I look utterly ridiculous?' type considerations to a minimum. , Suitability does not seem to be a ¦ concern. Given the accessibility of couture creations thanks to high street imitations, every 'Vicky Pollard'-like fourteen year old will also have the access and the funds to accommodate the new turban trend. A terrifying generation of tracksuit and turban clad teenagers could ensue -and you thought hoodies were a bit much. This may be the most significant issue for Sikhs: give one to l^i Kate Moss and everyone will be flaunting one - ignorant of it's origin or significance. The days of high fashion glamour being reserved for style elites are long gone, replaced now by 'one size fits air fashion, capable of derogating any chic originality. So whether the turban will ever catch on as a fashion favourite waits to be seen. I, for one, must admit my scepticism. Just because one six foot waif with the face of a goddess can wear a turban and manage to look 'like, SO this season', it does not immediately signify summer's new 'must have'. If anything, it may translate into the mainstream as a simple headscarf...which might be better for everyone. My last day at the hogarcito, and I prepare the final details for the Farewell Pizza Party. Despite a few remaining language barriers it goes well; the lingo of pizza is universal. I 'bought' myself a placement with a company who essentially cater for gap-pers, arranging details such as work, accommodation and even collecting me from the miniature Juan Santamaria airport. Although I don't exactly regret going through a company, since Costa Rica was my first solo traveling-venture, I'd advise others against it. a similar trip is so easy to arrange by yourself, without the lingering questions about exactly where your money is going. Hostel accommodation is cheap; homestay is even cheaper and usually includes meals. Various companies offer homestay accommodation but a word of warning, the families won't receive all of the money you're paying. Fairer, though perhaps more daunting, would be simply turning up in a town and knocking on a few doors. There will always be an old lady with a bed somewhere willing to put you up. I certainly know a fabulous woman in the small town of Palmares, Costa Rica who would love to have you. In terms of finding a place to volunteer, knowing the language would put you in the happy position of being able to ask the locals. Alternatively you could contact a volunteer organization prior to departure (many can be found on the web). As for the flights, as always prices for return tickets vary depending on when you book, how many transfer stops you make, and where they are. It is best to use a large scale search engine to do some thorough research, I urge you to check out www.opodo.co.uk who will search an absurd number of flights for you. Why pay to volunteer? What can you actually achieve? What's wrong with the all-inclusive Magaluf holiday? These amongst some questions various addled amigos hurled at me. Answering such queries at my leaving do was complicated, and not simply due to excessive alcohol consumption either - in terms of the reasons behind what I was doing, it was hard since I still didn't know what I was getting into. I began my five memorable weeks in the orphanage feeling eager, armed with toys, mosquito spray and a Spanish dictionary. One thing I had not prepared myself for was the physical and mental exhaustion of working there, which I would have to overcome. Children are naturally boisterous and energetic; at times I would take a breather from running around playing 'arroz con leche' or -even eat separately in the office to take a moment to 'chill'. At first I felt like a failure for not constantly keeping up with the little rascals, I desperately wanted to make the most of every second with them. But with time it became clear that everyone has limits and, you need to respect your own. We tried to organise English classes for mornings but capturing the attention of more than two of the chiquitos at any given time was a mean feat. Occasionally though, the ; odd word ¦ went in. My tiny hero Emanuel brought a son-risa to my face by running up to me before every rainstorm (a fun daily occurrence) pointing at the sky, declaring 'cloudy!' The weeks passed and on occasion I would hesitate as to what my genuine role was. Were there any actual, long-term benefits resulting from my time there? Another thought that has cropped up periodically since: perhaps it was even unkind to work out there and build those bonds with the children, only to leave five weeks on? I hope not. I believe in the value of the attention I could give the children I was working with while I was there. Though the volunteers they meet and befriend will always eventually have to leave, the time dedicated to them by those who go for however long is truly appreciated. Mine couldn't believe that I had come all the way from the small squiggle across the ocean on the map, just for them. It is better to have spent a little time making someone smile than no time at all, so I fully endorse volunteer packages. If you wish to travel with a company, the importance of careful research is the primary thing to remember. I used i-to-i (www.i-to-i.co.uk), but there is a surplus of similar companies offering other projects for all over the world. I recommend setting one's sights upon a specific region of the world, or a type of placement (ie. work building a school, nature conservation, or working with orphans) . Compare prices and what's included with each package, such as visas, insurance and travel costs. It is the norm for accommodation and food to be included and a typical price for a four-week stay is around £900+. saskiocllfford-mobley has a crisis of faith volunteering abroad - selfless or selfish? tuesday the thirtieth of January, two thousand and seven nine the bottomless we iangordon sees a book with good ideas crudely formed In The Bottomless Well, authors Huber and Mills establish two important facts that the conventional environmentalist community and much of the general public has yet to accept, much less consider F^ct 1: The world is in no way running out of oil. Nor is oil becoming more expensive. r^ct 2: Modern technology has the capacity to preserve our environment, and to a certain extent it has been doing so for years. I picked up this book expecting a long trail of dry facts and figures leading to the conclusion that everything is going to be alright in the end; something along the lines of Bjorn Lomborg's The Skeptical Enviromnentalist. Instead I found a book that treats the reader to a philosophy built around factual observations. Huber and Mills paint a picture of mankind's creations and existence in the context of the living world's unique tendency to overcome the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, at least in closed systems. We are, they argue, constantly engaged in creating higher and higher levels of order out of chaos, beginning with the taming of fire and climaxing, thus far, in the bytes of information flowing through computer processors. In creating this order out of chaos we are creating devices that are simultaneously more efficient in their order and more wasteful in the amount of energy lost in the production of that order. This is a process that is as on-going as it is inevitable, because as the authors point out, raw energy is of no use to human beings: "the order in the energy is the only part that has any value." Huber and Mills seem to dig themselves into a hole. How can they claim that modem technology can prevent cli- m mate change if it is inherently more wasteful than earlier devices that created less order but lost less energy? They justify their claim by using economics, specifically the principal of opportunity cost."As late as 1910," the authors tell us, "some 27% of all U.S. farmland was still devoted to feeding horses used for transportation." Even now there are environmentalists that would suggest we turn back to a carbohydrates-based energy economy, one where bread powers horses and bicyclists instead of SUVs and motorbikes. Yet Huber and Mills argue that such a change would not benefit the environment because "in terms of land surface occupied to extract and deliver the energy used... crude oil is at least 1000 times more frugal than grain". So because America no longer uses all its land to grow carbohydrate energy, more room is left for forestry. Indeed the authors suggest that "for the first time in history, a Western nation has halted, and then reversed the decline of its woodlands." All of this is quite a leap of logic, and very well in theory, but how does the potential for SUVs to reverse climate change manifest itself in the data? Quite well, according to Huber and Mills. The authors quote a controversial paper published in Science concerning measurements of atmospheric carbon that suggests that "North America as a whole is, apparently, a carbon sink." While these carbon testing results provide a fitting conclusion to the logical argument proposed in the book, they are also the least convincing part of the arc. Huber and Mills' major shortcoming, perhaps, is that they are theorists rather than researchers. And yet the theories put forward in The Bottomless Well, and verified briefly by its authors, ought to be considered and tested to a greater extent by the academic community. The writers may not prove to be entirely correct, but they can at least help the current debate on environmental policy avoid the snares of 'group think'. Ultimately the charm of The Bottomless Well is that it provides a sensible middle-route through the environmental debate. Huber and Mills do not deny the existence or harm of global warming; nor do they suggest that the renunciation of many of the technologies that make our lives more enjoyable and comfortable would be justifiable or indeed productive. Instead, The Bottomless Well leaves the reader with an optimistic belief that human ingenuity can lead us safely through difficult times ahead. As well as a profound feeling of obligation to create or at least adopt the next wave of technological medication for our bruised planet. Four weeks into term and you are probably, much like me, sick of eating student food, cooking that same old pasta dish or microwaveable Sainsbury's ready meal. I've been trying to hold on to the memory of good food like only my mama can make. A trip to 'My Old Dutch' for a 'pannekoek'(Dutch pancake) always goes some way to ease my cravings. Just a quick walk up Kingsway to Holborn makes it extremely convenient (thankfully, in this cold weather). Situated opposite the bus stop by Sainsbury's, it's bright orange exterior means it's fairly impossible to miss. The close location of High Holborn is a bonus for those such as myself, prone to getting lost in an unfamiliar wider London and aggravated by ridiculous travel fares. The decor is fairly generic - an attempt has been made to give it a 'Dutch' feel with country-esque pine tables but this aside, nothing really stands out. The interior is neither bedazzling nor offensive - but it needn't try either way. This is the kind of restaurant where the food talks. The decor is an insignificant part of the overall experience. The Dutch theme is far better carried by the beers - a large variety including many Dutch beers are served, along with some really delectable fruit flavoured beers, which are well worth a tiy. They also have milkshakes and smoothies but admittedly I have never ordered them. The food menu has always been too successful in capturing my attention to give the drinks menu a chance! You order, and wait, and then the absolutely huge pancake-plates loom and you suddenly realize dinner is served. The plates are astounding, the biggest I have ever seen, and all blue and white in old Dutch country style (I presume). 'The pancakes themselves are marvelous - not all thick and stodgy, yet not so thin as to deny you feeling like you've had a proper meal. What can only be described as a heavenly mixture of bacon, apple, and maple syrup is combined in the Amsterdammer. It's the ultimate combina tion, perfect if you can't decide between the sweet or savoury pancakes on the menu. There are plenty of other great combinations, both meaty and vegetarian. And then for desert? More pancakes. From the sweet selection,, the classic sugar and lemon is delicious, while the apple, cinnamon and ice cream is an apple pie of a pancake, and so, so good! They also serve real apple pie (Dutch of course), and a range of waffles. If you have quite individual tastes, or just fancy being creative, you can pick ingredients to make your own sweet or savouiy pancake. This may be one of my favourite discoveries in London so k me - I used tipping, so an extra % on the bill is annoying and leads to confusion as to whether to add a tip as well. The staff are undeniably good at what they do though. Heed; don't stray from the pan- gripes added never cheese craving ordered the nachos. They were okay, about as fabulous as the decor. A few concessions were made, so that the nachos seemed how cheesy nachos should be (with all the dips and lots of cheese), but taste-wise, they were simply incomparable, and on entirely another level to the pancakes. Price-wise a meal at My Old Dutch is a lot more expensive than a Sainsbury's ready meal, but then again this is London, and it is a restaurant. The Amsterdammer is one of the cheaper savoury pancakes at £7.95, whilst the dessert pancakes are about £6. Upon further investigation, there is apparently a 10% student discount, but a rather elusive voucher is required along with valid photo ID. As ever it is worth enquiring about. The loyalty card meanwhile, which grants you every tenth pancake for free, is very tempting! Forking out a few more pounds though is worthwhile as an occasional treat, and better than therapy after that horrific essay or a completely disastrous day. It's the type of cuisine that comes under the 'soul food' category; right up there with your mum's cooking - if she can make pancakes this good! Location: 132 High Holbom London WCIV 6PS menu. I flitted briefly into the starters on my most recent outing, and with a for sachorobehmed, everyday is pancake day my old dutch dreamgirls joshheller thinks they're more drear/ than dreamy Three girls are hired at a talent show to be backup singers, then they get their own act, then they see that maybe fame isn't as amazing as they thought or maybe it is. It seems to me that dream rhymes with Supreme? Also that Deena (the lead singer played by Beyonc^) sounds a lot like Diana? It's just a hunch but perhaps Diana Ross based her career in "The Supremes around this play. Dreamgirls is an adaptation of a very famous stage musical. This becomes quite obvious watching the film as here lie its failings. The performances are generally fine and sometimes good, but the cowardice of the adaptation is clear to see. It faces a dilemma that all adaptations of beloved material do. How much faith to the adored original and how much genuine adaptation to what is right for cinema? This is particularly hard when adapting stage material because the two art forms are deceptively similar yet completely different. Dreamgirls makes some stabs in the right direction, that is, making a film and ignoring all of the sentimental whiners, but sadly it is made by a few of those very whiners. It rarely feels like anything other than a camera focused on a realistic looking stage. The constraints of the adaptation are so screamingly evident yet so sadly ignored. The camera moves very little, set design is dis- tinctly uninspired and we are simply hoisted from scene to scene with precious little imagination. Particularly bad are the bizarrely awful singing-dialogue sequences. It might have worked on stage, although probably not. Indeed it isn't hard to imagine the screenwriters completing the final draft, realising, "Shit it's a musical! "then just going through highlighting obscure bits of dialogue that they can just tell the actors to sing. It isn't that this singing is bad- Jennifer Hudson has an unbelievably beautiful voice- but it is frequently entirely pointless. There is much to be gained from genuine songs but genuinely nothing to be gained from simply singing dialogue. There's a chance director Bill Condon hasn't seen Team America. Maybe he is unaware of the wonder ful parody 'Montage Even if he hasn't there is no excuse for the extraordinary number of montages in Dreamgirls. He manages to show: money being made, people leaving home, people becoming a bit famous, people becoming more famous, people becoming even more famous, other people becoming famous, time passing, people becoming upset. The montage is a very lazy film device. It neglects the use of smart dialogue and technique in favour of screaming at the audience, "Time is passing and people are changing!" Yet its use can be forgiven if perhaps there is only one in a film- sadly Dreamgirls has at least 5. This is unacceptable and when the film finishes to a collective sigh of relief... the credits are over a bloody montage. Also, the songs are a bit rubbish. Show tunes are favoured over Mo-town. It is definitely true that Miss Hudson needs scant talent from songwriters to show off her astounding 29 octave range, .however the three [Oscar nominated 'songs more than ' flatter the uninspired motonony of I the lyrics. There are a few good things I about the film. Pp Eddie Murphy has drawn praise nation for his role as amalgamation of soul singers Jimmy Thunder Early. He sings well and his on stage routines are lovingly infused with energy. Yet the acting is hardly inspired, it's fine and admittedly he can handle the drama more than capably, but you can't help wanting him to make even just one joke. Jennifer Hudson is clearly a girl with a future. She gives the Effie character the right balance of charm and ego. Beyonce is quite good as Deena Jones, she does manage to make her part quite withdrawn and not all mental like she is when she gets on stage. Although it is hard to be too carried away with someone playing someone a lot like herself or herself only a bit more timid. It's not a very bad film. It is passably entertaining froth. The idea that this is the be all and end all of musicals is absolute nonsense. Musicals can be more than just entertaining, they can be important. Song and dance can be used to illuminates ideas or concepts that simple dialogue leaves flat. Dreamgirls, despite its 8 Oscar nominations- and please notice it wasn't nominated for Best Picture- fails to achieve this. If you really like musicals or you loved the original, then go and see it. If you don't like musicals then stop taking yourself so seriously and go and watch West Side Stoiy instead. song^ nomi Whenever I used to watch films, my mind used to wander during the opening credits. If it were possible, I would skip through them. It seemed to me that their purpose was merely self-promotion: to show off the filmmakers' and actors' names to the accompaniment of uninteresting music and dull images. But now I think differently. The images shown during the opening credits of films vary considerably. There are the iconic openings to James Bond films - after the exhilarating action sequence we are always confronted by ladies swimming alongside guns and bullets. The opening credits for the latest instalment. Casino Royale, goes back to basics but doesn't cease to amaze, with the presence of spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs for each animated on-screen death. However, most opening credits just set the scene, tone or atmosphere in their different ways. Kubrick's The Shining sets the mood for the whole film by showing aerial shots of a car winding its way towards its destination. Don Siegel's The Beguiled starts with still photographs of wounded and killed soldiers during the American Civil War, thereby not only setting the time and place of the action but also a deadly tone. And who could forget the opening of Carol Reed's The Third Man with its close-up of zither strings playing the film's signature music? Hitchcock's Rear Window simply shows the slow opening of blinds in the main protagonist's apartment during its open- ing titles. This conveys the characters' nascent voyeurism in the story and also the viewer's own voyeurism in watching, essentially the theme of the entire film. However, there has been a recent trend to do away with opening credits altogether. Though most titles just simply states the film's name- Citizen Kane and The Godfather saga, for example- it was with films like Batman Begins and directors such as Clint Eastwood choosing to do away with them completely. And what about ending credits? Nowadays, the credits for most films come at the end of the film, where the typical moviegoer will just leave the cinema. With the increase in scriptwriters, stunt-coordinators and coffee-getters, Star Wars that was the 'breakthrough' in doing away with them entirely. George Lucas refused to include them in The Empire Strikes Back because he thought the opening would not be as effective. Oddly, the Directors' Guild of America took offence and fined Lucas, who promptly resigned. Nowadays non-exis-tent opening credits are commonplace. these lengthy credits feel like a whole other film. Contrast this with older films where the opening credits listed the important information, and the end credits simply amounted to 'THE END.'Those two words have much more impact in certain films, such as Howard Hawks' classical film noir The Big Sleep. Is there anything wrong with this trend? One obvious advantage with opening titles is the immediate attraction of the viewer's attention. To do away with them is a great opportunity being missed. With a little bit of inventiveness something more than merely setting the scene can be shown in the opening credits. Speilberg's Catch Me if You Can shows a summary of the whole film in a retro-style cartoon. Going back even further. Around the World in Eighty Days lengthily and imaginatively summarised this in its end credits. The opening of Tarantino's Jackie Brown shows in miniature what the eponymous hero will do in the film. Some films go even further. The original AMe has Michael Caine breaking the 'fourth wall' by turning to the camera and explaining that the opening titles will not be appearing as we would expect. MUos Forman's Man on the Moon has Jim Carrey's character initiating the end credits at the beginning to get rid of the undedicated viewers. Although I have to admit sometimes a lack of opening credits is effective, like when Kubrick's Barry Lyndon dispenses with them to emphasise the literary roots of the film. So just because there are credits in every film, it does not mean that the director cannot make some other use of them. So when the time comes, sit back, pay attention and keep that finger off the fast-forward button. irfaanmeraH on the beginning and tine end this is more than just a title tuesday the thirtieth of January, two thousand and seven eleven .fl ses superstar dj iongorclon spreads the vvO'd about DuisefT'' jamie t .i'V Jirujindc" Starting with a resident Dj-ship at the Tuesday night leviathan White Heat, Dj Rajinder has slowly extended his tentacles of underground musical eclecticism across our fair city. Rajinder can be found at any number of London clubs fraternising with the musical elite, and he's bringing his notable friends on to his PulseFM slot, during Wednesday afternoons, perhaps creating enough buzz to break the station out of the Quad and on to the streets. Even the BBC has noticed, recently letting him blow the BBC Asian Network out of the water on their 'Superstar DJs' slot. But lest you think that Rajinder has abandoned his management stripes in a quest for musical notoriety, he also has an entrepreneurial side. His club. Noise Noise Noise, debuted this December at Everything Must Go and has already upgraded to a Saturday night slot at Crash in Shoreditch featuring fast-rising and frenetic acts such as Theoretical Girl and Xerox Teens. So even if the LSE music scene has all gone a little PeteTong, DJ Rajinder, at least, is a worthy ambassador. kevinperry witnesses the wimbledon wordsmith waxing lyrical u Jhis place is a bit big for us" says Jamie T, blinking in the lights of the Astoria. It wasn't too long ago that he was playing London's grimier dives armed only with a bass guitar and a pad of scrawled lyrics, but the success of his singles, "If You Got The Money" charted at 13 and "Calm Down Dearest" entered the Top Ten, mean that tonight one of central London's bigger venues has sold out, largely to a younger crowd than the hipsters who first championed him. Jamie Treays has been lumped in with various different emerging music scenes, from English rappers such as Just Jack as Plan B to the middle-class-from-'Souf London' scene that birthed Lily Allen, but in truth he has something which seperates him from all of these acts, a solid-gold-nugget at the heart of his music that promises much. His album, "Panic Prevention", was released yesterday, and while not every track is a success, when Jamie T is good, he's veiy good indeed. Tonight's show is opened by Them Nudes, a London band doing a passable impression of The Jam reinvented as snarlingpunks. The NME-lauded Maccabees, follow and are spectacularly dull, although the mob of kids down the front don't seem to mind, and pogo enthu-siatically regardless. Their excitement is nothing compared to the main event, however. As he enters with his 4-piece-band, it is abundantly clear that the ramshackle act of his early career has been exorcised in place of a fuller sound, a rockier edge to the record's hip-hop meets reggae sound. Opening with 'Brand New Bass Guitar', Jamie rattles through a mixture of album material and older tracks and fan favourites such as 'Ike & Tina'. Each track is interspersed with banter in the same wide-boy accent that Jamie sings, and his con fidence and attitude paper the cracks over a band that seem slightly nervous playing one of the largest London shows of their career. His live performance rises and falls with the calibre of his tracks, when he's good on his records, he': even better live, but when he's average on his records, his live performance really suffers. The highlights are undoubtably 'Sheila' and his tour-de force 'Calm Down Dearest', which is played twice, making a wel-c o m e return at the end of the set in a rockier form. Despite the benefits of the fuller sound that his band provides, perhaps the best moment of the entire show is the beginning of the encore, when Jamie returns without band to play acoustically, including a fantastic cover of Billy Bragg's 'A New England'. Edging out into the cold night after the show, "I and the touts that surrounded the ^ show hours earlier have been replaced by men hawking fake tshirts. They shout over the noise of the buses in voices not far from that with which Jamie T had just been >— leading the crowd in singalong cho-f^ ruses. Perhaps it is this, over-^— and-above the mix-mashed/ production and the wittyj lyricism, that! makes Jamie t\ what he is. It\ is the fact\ that that he speaks a language that is familiar to thousands of kids just like him: white kids in love with black music, middle class kids in love with council estates. All delivered in the patois of the market vendor. Time will tell whether he can translate his London rooted sound abroad, or reproduce the magic of his best moments, but right ¦ now, in his home city, he is a beguiling proposition. In April 2005 Parliament passed the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (SOCPA) which made any unauthorised act of protest within a kilometre of Parliament Square illegal. The Act has been associated with the continued one-man camp peace protest site of Brian Haw who has been a dogmatic feature sitting opposite the Houses of Parliament since June 2001, surrounded by a cacophony of placards, banners, Banksy's donated contributions, photocopied war-zone reports, hand-made signs and a more impromptu 'fallen comrade' monument of traffic cones and garden cane that have grown in his five-year tenure. Parliament claimed that those shadowy figures of terrorism could use protests similar to Haw's as a cover for their more devious activities and despite a successful ruling in his favour, they pursued Haw's continued presence and finally, clutching a Court of Appeal ruling, 78 police arrived in the early hours of May 23rd last year to forcibly remove Brian Haw who had come to symbolise increasing anti-war sentiment. Now, whilst Haw has returned to a limited space in Parliament Square, Mark Wallinger has recreated, in almost exact detail. Haw's protest site along the central spine of the Tate Britain under the auspicious and somewhat unsubtle title of 'State Britain'. Even the Tate is not without fear of the state's encroaching power, employing Lawyers to pore over SOCPA before Wallinger's installation occupied the Duveen Galleries, which lie within the exclusion zone. But, Wallinger appears to relish this added layer to his work, using black tape along the floor to show these lines of exclusion within the gallery. ¦vwK eriAk %s. SUPPOfiT ¦ OUR . iTftOOPS • H * HOM£*....... expressing a wider challenge around our 'rights' to freedom of expression and erosion of civil liberties. The relationship between Art and Protest holds a long tradition, and the interplay between them has often changed. Art as a means of Protest, Art as a rally cry for Protest or even Art as an area for Protest. Mark Wallinger's installation presents a further interplay in it's replication of a protest site that, whilst containing art and relying on the impact of the visual as well as the megaphone, was never intended to become 'art'. This question of 'art' and it's relationship with protest undoubtedly hovers around Wallinger's installation. Protest art, in its broadest definition, refers to any visual action taken by social activists to convey and/or promote a mes- sage and, whilst an understanding of the symbols used in art allows for interpretation, it is the element of social activism -the protest part - that remains it's foundation and drive. Protest art often explicitly bypasses the formal institutions of art, galleries and spaces where access is often restricted, even informally, to those more'economically privileged', implicit in this, is the social necessity to communicate a message to reach the widest number of people. Protest art is meant to be empowering, not 'art for art's sake', aesthetic quality and technique are a secondary concern. So, when Wallinger replicates Haw's site is he restating this antiwar message or, implicitly giving it up to the limited institution that it had chosen to ignore, or exploiting liberal society's misguided sense of deference and trust in the intellectual elitism that sticks to the arts world, so often leaving an unpleasant aftertaste of self-righteousness in the regular gallery-visiting crowd. 'State Britain' is, according to Tate Britain's director, Stephen Deucher the most overtly political piece the gallery has ever housed. He also said that 'Wallinger had used the peace protest to create a work of art' and it is this duality that remains poignant and, perhaps for Deucher, a little bit two-edged. The piece undoubtedly creates a sense of creeping horror, it is a form of still life able to document more than the image, but the context. It is this context that WaUinger has used which layers the installation in mocking a law which unashamedly curtails our basic freedoms to protest - but has he scored an 'own goal' for the artistic world he inhabits? Well, Wallinger perhaps deserves more credit, as an artist he has a proven record of teasing out metaphors - he may have created 'art' for the Tate Britain but he has transferred the 'protest'. So, whilst it is a replica, without Brian Haw it lacks it's original message. Instead, in the grandeur of the space it inhabits, with the snaking black line over the exclusion zone, it is Mark Wallinger who inhabits the role of Brian Haw. Yet, Wallinger does not leave his protest there - the empty sleeping bag, Tesco biscuits and flagons of water present us with an invitation to take up this protest ourselves. Whilst challenging a desperate and unjustifiable law, he is laying the gauntlet of responsibility at our feet. A* daisymitchell-forster examines the interplay between art and protest mark wallinger's'state britain' IB. twelve tuesday the thirtieth of ianuarv. two thousand and seven Sev BY JuiJIi ANDI^^VS £ e o r 3 2 4 7 5 2 1 7 9 4 7 2 3 7 8 5 4 9 6 3 7 9 "F 2 5 2 7 6 4 9 p- Down 1.foot jacket (4) 2.prevent from getting hurt/escaping (5) 3.small oily ovoid fuits (6) 4.a long long way to run (2) 6.a note to follow 16 (2) 7.weather beaten, cantankerous (face) (7) 8.a decoded horn (12) 9.a drop of golden sun (2) 11.dirty; odd sir (anag) (6) 12.cultivated (6) 13.choosed(5) 15.a needle pulling thread (2) 18.action inflicted on coins or pancakes(4) Across 1. catch (on something)(4) S.portable shelter (8) 10.1a la la (4-4) 14.strike these in someone or play them on something (6) 17.springing forth from (2) 19.an article...definite one (3) 20.a name i call myself (2) 21.take the piss out of (6) 22.a drink with jam and bread (2) 23.a deer, a female deer (2) Ask Dearest students! I'm afraid I have some rather unsettling news this week. It seems as though my stu-dent/playgirl ways have become a tad too much for poor old Mr Shaw to keep up with. After forty-three wonderful years between the sheets, Mr Shaw has decided he needs a short hiatus and I am hoping for his return soon, preferably mid February. The good news is that this leaves me at the doors of the Shaw library open armed, ready for my new prince (or princes!) to come fulfil all my sexual desires. I do apologise, I am not sure why I am feeling so randy today. Perhaps it is the anticipation of the delights of Valentines Day and all the wonderful chocolate and role-play that follows it. I encourage you all to drop me a note, e-mail or facebook message detailing your most sordid or disastrous V day dates and I will guarantee to make extra space to publish your tales! Alternatively, you are more than welcome to declare your undying love for a fellow academic or advertise your willingness for a one night stand. Whatever your reason, get those Valentine's letters in soon! Due to the success of last year's issue, I am tempted to offer another sexual positions poster...all in good time. Back to this week's letters! As always, terrible spelling and appalling grammar is what my readers and I live for...enjoy! Dear Auntie Some people, especially in the SU, seem to think that The West Wing is real and to believe that behaving like senior staff of the President of the USA make them look busy and important. I think that more than anything else it makes them look quite sUIy and like they take themselves far too seriously. I tear that with aU those elections coming up, it is only going to get worse, and even though I am the last person you would expect to hear that from, all this election scheming, positioning and plotting is making me rather sick. Could you please advise me as to what to do to make them xmderstand that it's only a damn TV show, no matter how brilliant it is? Hack love NAME WITHHELD Dearest Hack Whilst the LSE Students' Union provides an invaluable service to students, the institution and the hierarchy has been deliberately set up so that the staff can indulge in a little role-play. In this little world of theirs, they are even more important than the president of the United States. Scheming and plotting for elections is a very self-indulgent activity. In the words of youth today, I believe the phrase you students would use it "Who the fuck gives a shit?!" You are right when you say things can only get worse. My advice would be to steer as far away as you can from this nonsense or you might end up being forced to wear several different campaign banners come election week...One on your right butt cheek, one on your left, two on your pecks and three on your elbow. Turn around, I believe someone is buttering you up as you read this Beware of the back 'hack'-stabbers Auntie Shaw xoxo Dear Auntie An acquaintance of mine is being cheated on repeatedly by her current boyfriend. I used to fancy this girl and we almost went out but it never materialised. We don't really see each other much since anymore she's got a new boyfriend in October and I'm sort of into boys as well now, so the whole chapter between us is a closed one. My flatmate dragged me to a house party in south London last weekend and her new boyfriend was all over a different girl! People started talking and it turns out this guy has 1 8 5 9 5 4 4 6 9 2 7 7 4 1 5 8 6 5 7 6 8 4 7 6 1 8 3 1 9 been sleeping around quite a bit. I feel quite bad for the person I know because she has no idea, but I think she has the right to know. There is no way I would ever tell her so what can be done? LSE* 08 M2tnagement Sciences Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. As a rule of thumb, never turn a triangle into any other shape. There already seem to be three people involved in this little affair so a fourth would only make more mess (that can be good or bad, depending on what tickles your fancy). It is always possible that the pair are in on of those more neo-liberal relationships which you young 'uns call "open", but this seems unlikely. The LSE is such a small campus that aU stories get out somehow and I am positive the story of the horrible cheat will eventually get back to your friend (possibly even through facebook). If you are still fond of her, this will allow you to pick up the devastated pieces of her heart and be the comforting 'friend' until she is ready to date again. Regarding your uncertainty regarding your sexuality, I am surprised that this was not the topic of your letter. Remember that Auntie is always here for you if and when you need advice on how to choose between the cock and the flange. They're both equally fun in their own way Auntie Shaw xoxo If you want to share (or scare) me with you problems, rants and general nonsense, please do get in touch at thebeaver.partb@lse.ac.uk or through Auntie Shaw on Facebook. As explicit and long as you want; the juicier the better -let's push those editorial boundaries to their limits! You are guaranteed to remain completely anonymous. Until next week my bizarre boys, girls and transgender dahlings! Ever your Auntie xoxo •Mfl -MO EATURES: Beaver, ^eaver|30 January 2007 is ide aver The Beaver conducted a lip and their opinion of the his week's Features media I an evaluation of the ^'s own paper. piis for tlieii' thouglits on JheBmiw^ I up SM th a was her' of the e." "The coverage of SU politics is pointless. You don't talk about how stupid the whole thing is, you just report the facts." "ITie Beaver needs to be more independent from the SU." "Sometimes the music is dreadful, I mean, I thought I liked obscure music." "The Sports pages make no sense at all. The other sections cover wider issues, so why not have something on the wider sporting world?" "There should be more business, analysis of trends things like that." I ; "There should be more focus on events, what's coming up and reviews of what's already happened." "C&A is often really boring." I HOW OFTEN DO YOU READ THE BEAVERl 62% Lveix week 2-3 times a month 7% Once a month 7% Less than once a month/ never HOW GOOD ISTHE BEAVER OVERALL? Somewhat 48% 19% I Average 3% Not really 0% Not at all 3% Not applicable WHICH IS THE MOST READ SECTION? News 593% Features 43.8% PartB37.9% 1 9.3% Sports 28.3% Auntie Shaw/ puzzles •r"-' I read them all 3.7% I don't read any The survey asked people how interesting they thought each section was. The results are below. Somewhat --iverase rsot ream -vot at ail Not a5>pllcabie 29% Somewhat .Average applieaUe ISports Very 11%, Somewhat 16% Average 23% Not really 11 % Not at all 11% Not applicable 28% Fbeav R Sbte«i AxMMM'.r » ffc* UJMM, tUmUMT 2ZM. ' miLLS RENT STRIKE! Passfield votes: 31-28 tUmUMT 2ZM. ' STUDENTS UNITE! ^xec. clash over staff pay by Mm McCAUaM The Kills competition In Music B:4rt, page 26 miLLS I Focus on the international Correspondents, page 16 trlefing I Stabbing •9 «... ^ -JIM, PIltMmi — :..... ¦ - - - . . p-«i ft,------ « its*, flys* tiaifA-lh»rv »ir •./(X 3U« SabtMiticcil eie« w* U*- »• t Iku. .?.*.» »-',t istf :U a,»*- Tt* ' ^ tw ^ »t » Much OffKuIi ol *Uofnl lt4]].an 'cudrac* ivfuHd Co ¦ rrUlUM u Utr «urkM, ^ Uw lUU PmadrM coo- :ors resign >tiR (4itortal tio*i4«(TV i ¦ Uv b* 0»(«ni UftiTmtt7 QU' Unloe • mwMd aftfr tkm of lafrucnarau m Ml uMj(p*ndraM ea Uw )t Ibf UoMBl CxfnUrt p^2 * rr* •»«*•< • -* tmjmJ „f lO I ^ in, J. ^ ¦MMiwiT 2 DAHRPtDORF DEATH S reform Triona (bt N*tlo

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LSE secret state , 16 30 January 2007 FEATURES:Mcdia No victims in this classroom Ben Gianforti takes a look at American school days at the cinema and finds it unconvincing No : "othing annoys me more than formulaic, cliche-ridden filmmaking. Though all genres suffer from Hollywood's cookie-cutter tendencies to some extent, the one that stands out most for me is the inner city high school melodrama. From Blackboard Jungle (1955) to its most recent manifestation, Freedom Writers (2007), the inner city high school melodrama always conforms to the same basic elements and story arc. Without fail, they are (loosely) based on true stories and cast big name stars whose careers are now in various forms of disrepair as the inspirational teacher. But for all their claims of faithful adherence to the real-life accounts from which they're derived, these films candy coat the grim realities of actual inner city high schools. In chronological order, here are a few of the choicer selections: Stand and Deliver (1988) stars Edward James Olmos as Jaime Escalante, a businessman turned Inspirational teachers such *as the ones portrayed in these films are in short supply math teacher who impresses the value of calculus on his rambunctious class through unconventional instructional methods. Today he can be found on the Sci-Fi Channel, where B-list actors are put out to pasture. Olmos is joined by Richard Dean Anderson, formerly of MacGyver (1985), and Scott Bakula, the erstwhile time traveler of Quantum Leap (1989). Dangerous Minds (1995) is probably the film that first leaps to mind when discussing this genre. Michelle Pfeiffer is Louanne Johnson, a former marine that wins the grudging admiration of her urban classroom mainly because she can kick ass. This film is most memorable for putting Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" on the map. Correspondingly, Coolio is perhaps most memorable for putting Michelle Pfeiffer in the video for "Gangsta's Paradise." Has she been in anything since then? Samuel L. Jackson plays Ken Carter in Coach Carter (2005), the story of a basketball coach who benches his winning team when they don't meet his academic standards. This movie is another example of my theory that Jackson will take any role he's offered. Please refer to Deep Blue Sea (1999), Formula 51 (2001), xXx (2002), a;Xr: State of the Union (2005) and The Man (2005) for other examples. He may have been mind-blowing as Jules in Pulp Fiction (1994), but some things are unforgivable. In 2006, Antonio Banderas took on the role of Pierre Dulaine in Take the Lead. This film reveals to us the transformative power of the foxtrot and the waltz. Dulaine dances his way into the hearts of his skeptical students. Let's be honest, Banderas is only worth watching when he's unloading a pair of pistols at some Mexican henchmen or carving Z's into doors; and only then just barely. Finally, two time Oscar winner Hilary Swank is currently putting audiences to sleep in the aforementioned Freedom Writers (2007). From what I gather, it's Dangerous Minds 2. Swank has fallen into the post-Oscar rut. This is best exemplified by the descriptions of two of her upcoming films (wrww.imdb.com). The Reaping (2007): "Thousands of years ago there was a series of bizarre occurrences that many believed to have been the Ten Biblical Plagues. No one thought they could happen again. Until now." Labyrinth (2008): "An institutionalized woman with multiple personality syndrome is the one person who can reveal the identity of a serial killer." A bloated CGI orgy based on shoddy theology and Identity (2003) 2 sans John Cusack. I wonder if there will be a twist at the end? Of these five films, I've only seen Stand and Deliver (1988), in Spanish no less (Con Ganas de Triumphar), and Dangerous Minds (1995). Fortunately, they're all exactly the same movie! Here is the basic template. An idealistic but no-bullshit teacher enters an unruly classroom populated with various stock urban characters: the pregnant teenager, the gang member, the white kid who's trying not to get killed, the drug dealer, the sassy, fat black girl and so on. The class is extremely skeptical of the teacher, particularly if they're white. The early scenes of the teacher trying to win the students' respect is rife with outdated slang like "That's whack, teach" and "You must be trip-pin'." Slowly but surely, the teacher proves themselves by being tough but fair and getting involved with the students' lives outside the classroom. Just as progress starts getting made, something tragic happens that shakes the faith of the class but brings them closer together Think drive-by shooting. The class recovers and they begin preparation for the big exam, dance contest, game, etc. This is usually represented through some kind of montage of inspirational scenes over which a hiphop song is played. At the eleventh hour, tragedy strikes again and failure looks imminent. Think ace student has baby, trouble with derelict father, gets shot. Ultimately, the class's hard work and determination pay off in a big, cheesy Hollywood ending or, occasionally, a bittersweet moment of near success. I know I'm a cynic but hear me out. It's my feeling that these films are not about inner city high schools as they truly are but as middle class, white Americans want to see them. Hard work, perseverance and individual responsibility are quintessentially American, bourgeois . .valu^. Hollywood didn't create the Hollywood ending; it's part and parcel of our national myth. Inner city high school melodramas do deliver an important message of empowerment through education and triumphing over adversity through diligence. But they fail to acknowledge that the situation is far more complex and depressing in reality. Programs like Teach for America that offer incentives to college graduates to work in these districts have notoriously high rates of attrition. The work is difficult and unrewarding in most instances. David Brooks of The New York Times devotes many of his columns to the stratification of the United States along the lines of education. He emphasizes the roll that families and the community must play in fostering the values that are necessary for success in education. His concern is that America is becoming polarized into families and communities that do and do not instill these values in their children. In a column Brooks wrote on September 25, 2005 he says, "Educated parents not only pass down economic resources to their children, they pass down expectations, habits, knowledge and cognitive abilities. Pretty soon you end up with a hereditary meritoci'atic class that reinforces itself generation after generation." And on the other end of the spectrum you have a permanent underclass made up predominantly of minorities. How bad is it? According to Bob Herbert, another columnist for The NevirYork Times, the situation is grim. Prom his January 30, 2006 column: "Far from preparing kids for college, big-city high schools in neighborhoods with large numbers of poor, black and Latino youngsters are just hemorrhaging students. The kids are vanishing into a wilderness of ignorance." Studies conducted for Harvard University's Civil Rights Project (http://www.civilrightsproject.har-vard.edu/) confirm Herbert's claim. Just 50% of blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans graduated from high school in 2001 compared to 75% of whites. If looking solely at males, the figures are less than half. The consensus seems to be that President Bush's signature education reform, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, is only exacerbating the problem with its 'high-stakes' sanctions for poor academic performance and high dropout rates. At the end of the day, movies are movies and Hollywood just wants to make a quick buck on a time-tested formula. Even if we wanted it to, can Hollywood shift the tone in public debate or change powerful people's behavior in any meaningful way? Will the The Constant Gardener (2005) stop pharmaceutical companies from doing wrong in Africa? Will Syriana (2005) make oil companies wise up? Will Blood Diamond (2006) cease the trade in blood diamonds? Will Little Miss Sunshine (2006) put an end to pre-pubescent beauty pageants? I doubt it. But where inner city high school melodramas part from their fellow 'issue films' is that they are complicit in reinforcing an uncon-structive commonly held belief, namely that individual responsibility trumps collective responsibility wheni they are, in fact, symbi-l otic. I don't have a' solution for s America's education woes. I'm a film snob after all, not an education expert. What I do I know is that the solution probably doesn't^ involve Coolio. I Racism in your living room Chris Lam thinks reality tv personalities should be sent abroad for a while If we have been taught one thing by the Big Brother 'racism row' it is that we do not yet know how to stop racism happening in our society. Some of the comments directed at Shilpa Shetty, which have been many times repeated across the media, clearly crossed over the boundary of tolerance. Whilst some of the comments made are still the subject of debate, there is no doubt that at least at some point, Shetty was being discriminated against, because of her culture or her race. At the same time, a new controversy is also brewing over comments made in Channel 4's Shipwrecked, where a contestant has reportedly backed slaveiy. It's more important however, to think of solutions to the problem that the show has uncovered. POne minister Suggested last week, that citizenship lessons could be given to new immigrants to help them inte-grate British society. This, as a proposal, is clearly very, very wrong, and almost frightening in it's stupidity. Firstly, we've got to diagnose the problem. One suggestion, is that Jade Goody is not very clever. Thus, through her lack of intelligence, she simply did not know that the comments she made could have been harmful or upset Shetty, or the wider public. If she is not very clever, then we are stuck, because she might not ever be able to understand. No matter how much she learns about other cultures, or how far she travels, she will not gain such a 'higher understanding'. Perhaps Goody and the other 'celebrities' are a one-off phenomenon. Thus, one thing we could do, is to encourage students to travel. We could, even, help pay for students to travel in a gap year, or during term-time. So how do we afford to send people abroad? Top-up fees could be raised, and funding directed to secondary schools. However, this would make a few hundred students veiy unhappy, they might even, with legitimate reason, march to Trafalgar matiQ pettuurkKpn Ohannc1i'4^SM| Square with banners, decrying their new plight, but then be ignored by the wider public. Another alternative would be to raise taxes, in a wholesale way across the whole of society. However, this would make even more people unhappy. Simply, people don't want to pay more tax, and especially if it means they are paying for a 'holiday' for students who are not really 'needy' in the traditional sense. But perhaps, this is the main problem. We do not look at culture as a core and necessary part of a student's education. The proposed solution is perhaps far fetched, but it is certain that a lack of cultural awareness is part of the causes of racism. Big Brother has clearly upset a lot of other people, with reportedly a record number of (over 50,000) complaints received by Ofcom, and more complaints sent to Channel 4. If we care so much, we should do something about it. What we know for sure is that, if a person does not have the opportunity to see more of the world, or to learn more about other cultures, he has, in the literal sense, every chance to be a ra.cist., ¦ . . „ j v ¦+ FEATURES:Dzscouer Islam leaver 130 January 2007 What are you laughing at? Susan Cooke looks at humour in the Mushm world The reactions to the Danish cartoons of the prophet Mohammed have impressed upon Western minds what was already a suspicion: that humour and Islam do not mix. In Albert Brook's latest film, "Looking for Humour in the Muslim World," the American government offers him an important mission: to learn what makes the Muslim world laugh. Then they send him to what they think is an Islamic country: India. Although the jokes are mainly Goodness Griioioiis Me about the clueless American, the film's title lost Brooks a chance at finding a distributor. Not everyone is so shy of Muslim-related humour. Canadian television is breaking new ground with the first Islamic sitcom to hit the Western world, Little Mosque on the Prairie. Already a domestic hit, the show focuses on a sexy new imam who moves to a small town in the Canadian prairies, causing the Muslim community and the locals to clash. The previous imam was an Islamic stereotype: when railing against Western culture he declaims: "Desperate Housewives? Why should they be desperate when they're only performing their natural womanly duties?" This clash of civilizations humour forms the backbone of the show. One episode focuses on a Muslim family's dilemma of whether to allow their children to go out for Hallowe'en. ' Though they finally » accept the holiday, dubbing it -SAV*, " Halalowe'en", when he takes the children trick-or-treating, the father's clothes are mistaken for a "terrorist costume" by a well-meaning neighbour. In ¦ ^ another episode, the mother is horri- f , fied to see that her 'jfi swimming instruc-h! tor has been replaced by a man. Her solution is "the Haz-Mat Islamic swimsuit", ordered from Jordan and covering her from head to ankle. The show aims to be much more than a dose of gentle humour; it hopes to do for Muslims in the Western world what "The Cosby Show" did for African-American families in the 1990s. It hopes to make Muslims seem more familiar and relatable, if only by There is alread^y a suspicion that humor and Islam do not mix showing ordinary families going about their lives. "On the news all you ever hear are voices from the extreme end of the spectrum," the show's executive producer explains, "this gives voice to ordinary people who look just like other ordinary people." The show's creator, Zarqa Nawaz, says that young test audiences have laughed openly while older ones have hesitated. Non-Muslim adults have asked "are we allowed to laugh?" Muslim comedians would say yes. The most famous is arguably Britain's own Shazia Mirza (pictured below), a devout Muslim who embarrasses her family and has been attacked onstage. Three weeks after the attacks of the September, she walked onstage at a New York comedy club in her full hijab and said "My name is Shazia Mirza, or at least that is what it says on my pilot's licence." After a moment of silence, the audience rocked with laughter. While her parents have asked her to stop,"I have read the holy Koran and the Prophet used humour," she says. "It is not forbidden." A devout Muslim who does not smoke, drink, eat pork or have sex, Mirza has opened up a brave new world for religious Muslims, and puts a humourous face on their situation. In America, the Iranian-born Tissa Hami also does her act in a full black robe and headscarf, although sometimes a slightly less full robe when she is feeling "slutty" (her words, not mine). Apparently, American audiences often go silent when she walks on stage, wondering if she has wandered there by mistake or if she is there to clean. Once she launches into her repartee about life as a Muslim post-September 11^*^ though, they get the joke. Mentioning the many full-body searches she has been forced to undergo at airport security, she says grimly: "I was hoping to save that for the honeymoon". There are always people who disapprove of Mirza and Hami and authorities that find their humour thoroughly sinful. This was the government reaction to Tash Ma Tash, a Saudi Arabian sitcom which runs during Ramadan every year. After an episode satirizing Saudi judges, who tend to work only a couple of hours a day and allow cases to pile up, the show's creators were accused of insulting religious figures and failing to show them due respect. Saudi Arabia's highest clerical body then issued a fatwa saying it was sinful to watch the program. In spite of this, the show remains popular, as does comedy for Muslims, by Muslims and about Muslims. I think it's time for all of us to regain our sense of humour. H Prominent Muslims in Britain Boxing Middle- ' weight champion • and eccentric • ....IVrr-.-?, Sarwar Britain's first Muslim I MP and Chair of the I Scotish Affairs Select • comittee Outspoken stand-up comedian Ahcius'Bari Secretary General of the Muslim Council Of Britain 3^ i Prominent academic and pioneer in the ^ study of ethnicity <1, Formerly singer-songwriter Cat Stevens who converted to Islam Muslim Dress SOS Ruhana Ali challanges the perceptions about Islamic fashion Muslim or not, girls will be girls. We will always have something to obsess about; hair, make up, nails, clothes or, in my case, a black cloak and complementary headscarf, bag and shoes. Although there is no fundamental difference in any woman's desire to feel good, it is amazing how particular items of clothing are so overlooked. Ever thought of the way Muslim women dress as a fashion SOS? Neither did I, until I traded in my Diesel straight legs and poker straight fringe for some "sister styling". First, I decided to put on the Hijab and my identification as a Muslim was carved. The many colours, patterns and styles of wearing it save me from the damaged caused by exposure to the elements, (especially GHDs) and still leave room for creative expression. Then came the Jilbab, the long loose outer dress; contrary to popular belief "normal tops and jeans" are still worn underneath, meaning not being able to wear whatever you want is never a hassle. Although I'm aware that my Ninja dress does not necessarily impress, this makes it for me a^sudcesS. What I so enthusiastically perceive as slight- L V V -.U \ I m ly Bedouin, cultured, and modest, others think of as confused", "extremist" and "oppressed". I guess it is a case of miscommu-nication: the whole Islamic idea behind X the headscarf and loose ipi clothing is ' ¦ to preserve modesty. So, in this sense, not drawing attention to myself is a ¦positive t thing. But I j do love my Muslim i f a s h i o n i and I \ choose to wear it. ; A s i d e if r o m ' cover- ing to please my Creator, I find there is much wisdom behind Hijabi dress. I can think of at least four superficial perks, that may make you want to try it. When having a "Boir£fro"hair day (a combination of bouffant :and Afro), there is no better way to tame it than by sticking on a headscarf. When feeling fat, simply cover yourself in tres chique layers like runway models or, more specifically, one long layer in the form of a Burqa; straight, symmetrical lines elongate the body and cover a multitude of sins. When you can't decide what colour to wear, start with the classic black and funk it up with colours. Acne had a field day on your face? Stick that Niqab on! Well, perhaps we won't go that far... My point is my Muslim dress is my SOS, it makes me feel good, even though you may not think it could. Ironically, even if I don't want to stand out from the crowd, if my clothing does make a statement, I hope it would scream alternative fashion, Muslim, and ektrerrtely proud; H ' Investigative journalist for Channel 4 Presenter for BBC World and HARDtalk extra Labour Peer and gay-rights campaigner Footballer who has played for Arsenal since 2002 + +' FEATURES:/ndza Week 18 IBeaver 30 January 2007 Incredible India Mai^ika introduces India asks why India is missing 101 million women ometimes I am surprised by >how little people know about 'the world's seventh largest country, home to over one-sixth of the global population. But then again there is so much to India that even as an Indian I am still learning new things about this varied and diverse nation. With 25 languages, 63 dialects, different dress codes, cuisines and religions it can get a bit difficult! 83% of India's population is Hindu, but it also has about 135 million Muslims, 10 million more than those in Pakistan. A young nation -both in terms of people (the median age is 24.9 years) and as an independent republic only in its 60^^ year -India has come a long way but still has much to achieve. On an acquisition spree, India Inc (as we fondly call corporate India) lias been in the news a lot lately. From L.N. Mittal's takeover of Arcelor Steel, to Tata Coffee's takeover of the American firm Eight O'clock Coffee, more than 2.5 times its size. 2006 was a golden year for India with Infosys Systems, one of the largest Indian IT companies, becoming the first Indian company to be included in the Nasdaq-100. The stock market boom has been phenomenal with returns averaging 20-30% in 2005-2006. With growth rates averaging 9%, Indian manufacturing has come of age. Chennai, known as the Detroit of South Asia, is home to Hyundai and Nokia factories. Victoria's Secret also sources 6.5 million individual pieces of lingerie a year from this city. Whatever India lacks in manufacturing, it makes up by offering companies an enormous customer base. No • points for guessing why Carrefour, Tesco and Wal-Mart are all desperate to get a foothold in India. Growth can be seen in most sectors.Property prices are stratospheric and still rising. Hotel rooms in Bengaluru and New Delhi are almost as expensive as those in New York and London, with five-star rooms costing about $350 per night on average. Being the IT capital of India, such is the demand for hotel rooms in Bengaluru that business travellers who come to the city are forced to travel 334km to Chennai for an overnight stay. To top it all, 7 million mobile phone subscribers are added every month to the existing 100 million plus customer base, the highest growth rate in the world. Indeed there has never been a better time to be Indian. But what are the challenges faced by the nation? The World Health Organisation estimates that HIV/AIDS affects 5.7 million people in India. 260 million Indians live on less that 50 Rupees (about $1.10) per day. It takes 71 days to start a business, whereas only 5 in the USA, for example.Infrastructure still has a long way to go, along with general cleanliness. It has been argued that growth has favoured the middle class, while the poor remain relatively unaffected. There is a world of difference between least developed states like Bihar and the most prosperous ones such as Gujarat in terms of education and health. Comparison with China is constant. Only 125 of the Fortune 500 companies have research bases in India as compared to 400 in China. But there is reason to be optimistic. There were 80,466 Indian students in the USA in 2005 as opposed to 62,523 students from China. 86% of Indians have access to clean water while the figure in China is only 77%. As Indian Commerce minister, Mr. Kamal Nath has said: 'The economic gravity of the world has shifted from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean.' Indeed, India can work with China to make sure its here to stay. H I Jnvisibk' viciii.. It is a common assumption that there are more women in the world than men. Since women in the west enjoy higher life expectancy, this is not a ridiculous supposition, but it is misguided. The routine mistreatment of girls and selective abortion of female foetuses in the world's most populous regions (China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) have led to a male-dominated world in sheer numbers, as in so much else. The economist Amartya Sen first struck upon the concept of "missing" women, noting the considerable differences in death rates experienced by women and men in many countries. The sex ratio (the proportion of women to men) is an indicator of the relative social health of a country: the more advanced the society, the more it tends to favour women, since women are biologically predisposed to live longer than men. Now the cause of this gender imbalance has shifted: whilst the sex ratio of these populations has not changed considerably, the problerri of high female mortality has been largely addressed, but female birth rates are dropping. Any improvements in the disproportionately high female mortality rates are now outweighed by the fact that fewer women are being bom. Recent estimates suggest that for these reasons, the world is lacking 101 million women, termed "missing women"; a result of sex-specific abortion, infanticide and systematic discrimination against women. More male children are born than female in all countries, a fact which is compensated by better survival rates at all ages for women. In Europe and the US, for every 100 male babies, 95 female babies are born.Yet in China, a mere 86 girls per 100 boys are bom. Indian statistics are less reliable, but were estimated in 2001 at 93 girls per 100 boys. Ten years prior to this, the Indian numbers were very close to those seen in the west. Whilst the distortion is clearly not as severe as in China, the extent of the problem in areas of India is masked by huge regional variation; in some parts of North and West India, the situation is even worse than in China: in Punjab, only 79 girls are born to every 100 men. Modern technology has allowed us both the capability to determine the gender of a child before birth and the ability to rid ourselves of unwanted babies. The problem in China is frequently reported, but this issue in India is substantial and worsening: in 1901, there were 97 women to every 100 men, by 2001 there were just 93 [UN data].There is enormous social pressure to produce sons for diverse reasons: lineage, marriage, economic security and status and a preference for males exists in all areas of Indian society, regardless of religion, caste or class. While certain regions of India have reported cases of female infanticide, the majority of the sex ratio discrepancy is caused by sex-selective abortion. A study by the UN Population Fund suggests that in the northern state of Haryana, sex-selective abortions between 1996 and 1998 accounted for around 81% of abortions performed. Sadly, the most probable explanation is that the Indian sex ratio stems from misogynstic attitudes. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the more liberal Indian states in political and legislative terms witness the birth of more girls, while the more conservative are more male-biased. In reality, many societies remain divided along the "fault line of gender": sex still defines the oppoitunities available to an individual in all aspects of their lives, with women not only suffering what we commonly consider to be discrimination, but also from a more general cultural undervaluing of female life, of which the strong preference for sons is but a part.Yet it highlights enormous gender inequality, since son preference reflects the attitude of society to women: to deny women the right to life is the most extreme form of gender discrimination. Abortion is commonly seen by feminists as a woman's right: women should be entitled to control their reproductive capacity. But the abortion of female babies because of gender has muddied the issue: the woman may be making a free choice, but she is influenced by the values of a society which does hot cherish female life. Wisely, the Indian government has enacted legal measures to stop clinics revealing the sex of a foetus to its parents. Whilst this has proved difficult to enforce, the UN has done much since 2000 to address this issue in India, increasing media awareness of the problem; a campaign strengthened by the 2001 census's revelation of a considerable gender imbalance. Whilst the Indian government deserves praise for recognising and attempting to combat this problem, a more wide-reaching campaign is needed to address the issue. Fundamental changes in Indian society are required, whereby the preference for sons is tackled. For only through changes in opinions and values will India ever hope to overcome this ultimate form of discrimination. ¦ A model for religious tolerance Amrita Sarangi investigates how the sub-continent copes with its enormous diversity In an increasingly globalised world, the interaction between people from different cultures has . increased phenomenally. To a considerable extent different aspects of human lifestyles are getting more and more 'standardised'. But does this also apply to religions? Thinking of it politically, not many people would agree, especially not within the context of India. India is a land that has an 83% population of Hindus -indeed, one day it was called Hindustan, or the land of the Hindus. But with the invasion of the Muslim conquerors (the Sultanate, and later the MughalsX Islam penetrated in the fabric of India, and thence started the secularisation of the state of India. 'unity in diversity'. And this diversity is largely due to the presence and coexistence of people from various religions in India - Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Buddhists, Jews, Zoroastrians etc all reside within the landscape of India. This coexistence might not always be harmonic - one need only to caste a casual glance at recent communal conflicts. However, it is insightful to note that the reason behind the arising of this conflict was the presence of the wider forces in the Indian society - namely, the divide and rule policy of the British Raj in India. 11 was in order to establish a strong hold of their own in the colonised nation of India, that the British used . f; » , ' is. known However, today the modem state of India has defied all these boundaries and conventions created about its image - it is indeed a secular nation, with a Sikh Prime-minister, a Muslim President and a Catholic leader of the ruling party. This proves the presence of some sort of religious tolerance within the political scenario of India. These three people, not one of them a Hindu, did indeed get elected as leaders of the nation which is dominantly a follower of Hinduism. It is also heartening to know that this sort of a toler-, only exist^^in political spectrum, but also, in the spectrum of the daily life of regular people in India. People from different religious background are regularly influenced by each other and there are various examples of integration found within societies in India. Just to give brief glimpses of such integration - people from different religious backgrounds celebrate each others' festivals year after year (with the glittering lights of Diwali and Christmas enchanting everyone equally, and the colours of Holi being varied enough to include everyone in each of its vibrant hues). A single locality might even host a temple, a mosque, a gurudwara, and a church, all coexisting harmoniously together, just like FEATURES: Careers Advertorial leaver | 30 January 2007 Career profile: Goldman Sachs discusses his experience as an intern with the FICC programme Could I start by asking what made you apply to Goldman Sachs and perhaps ask what you feel differentiated you from other candidates in such a competitive selection process and helped you to secure your job offer? I applied for the 1 St year FICC/Equities internship as it was the longest and most in-depth investment banking work experience available to 1®^ year Undergrads. During that internship I liked the people I met and nature of the business so I came back for more the following summer! Eventually I joined last July after graduating from LSE. As for what differentiated me... I have no clue! I think I had good advice from friends who had already been through the whole process. In the end, thorough preparation and luck got me through!! What advice would you give to students who are currently applying to Goldman Sachs? Use your fellow LSE undergrads in the years above you for guidance -they may well have been through it all before. Don't rush the application... spend time on it - research yourself and the firm first. Be proud of your achievements and experiences - Try understand how the specific skills you have developed make you suited to a role within GS. If you get an interview, make sure you have a few practice interviews before the real thing. Use your parents, friends, relatives... anyone who has previously been interviewed! Make sure you are well prepared for the interviews. ICnow all your experi- ence inside out and know about all the major themes in your target area/division. I'd also make sure you have a decent number of questions that you could ask interviewers. What was your first experience in finance? How did you progress to working at Goldman Sachs? My first experience in finance was actually the GS Easter internship (so there was no progression at all!). Following that internship, I was given a final round interview for the Summer Programme. During the summer, I got on well with people on my current desk and they were looking to hire someone so I received the offer a week later. Could you tell us about the structure of the Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities division (FICC) - are teams split into product or geographical specialisations? Which desk do you sit on? Broadly speaking, FICC is split into product areas with a sales and a trading desk within each. Each sales team is usually then divided by region or account type (e.g. hedge funds, real money). Traders need to be quite focused on a specific product and are therefore divided as such. I sit on the Money Market sales desk and specifically help to cover French and German accounts. What attracted you to working in FICC? The thrill of being at the centre of the markets during big events was probably the most compelling reason for joining FICC. During my internship I witnessed the Chinese Yuan revalua- tion and the London bombings. The 'buzz' on the trading floor during those events was extremely powerful even for an observer. Tell us about your role in FICC. What do you typically do on a day-to-day basis? What do you add to your team? I am analyst in Money Market sales and help the senior salespersons to cover French and German clients. In addition, I also have a couple of smaller UK accounts myself. My main responsibility at this stage though is to learn as much as I can about the business and the clients so that I can provide smooth coverage when others are out or off the desk. Which courses that you studied at LSE do you think have been most valuable to you? Goldman will consider people from a wide range of backgrounds regardless of what you have studied. I studied International Economics and Macroeconomics and found this to be useful. In general though, the basics are all taught to you before you start working and you will leam everything else that is relevant once you're on the desk. What makes a good trader or salesperson? What makes a bad one? What do you think makes your team successful? The answer to this varies enormously depending on the specific team and product. An exotics trader, for example, requires a completely different skill set to an FX trader. In general terms, though, I would probably say that 'discipline' makes a good trader, and 'communication' makes a good salesperson. I think a key reason why my sales desk has been successful is that we have a very good relationship with each other and oiu- traders. In your work, what have you done that you consider truly creative? Can you give an example of a recent innovation in FICC? As a junior analyst, creativity is emphasized on a micro scale to make your colleagues lives easier and enable them to work more efficiently. Often this involves spreadsheet work to automate certain tedious processes. On a more Macro scale, senior management are constantly striving to make FICC - and GS generally - more innovative and efficient. An example was the merging of credit and equities two years ago. What has been the most significant change made in your division in the last six months which directly affected you? Are there any changes that you would like to see? The most significant change is that I was hired. The change I'd like to see is for me to make partner by the end of the year!! On a more serious note, there is an increasing effort on the sales side to move more towards structured products. This has affected my desk significantly since we traditionally have dealt in fairly vanilla products. It means that we all have to be very knowledgeable about a far wider range of products and structures. Though this is more challenging, it also makes the job much more interesting. Could you tell us about one of the most exciting projects/transactions that you have worked on during your time in FICC? What made it enjoyable? Given the level of liquidity in the money markets, we rely on flow. As a result, each transaction can last just a few seconds. Pulling off a huge trade, and making some P&L on the back of it, is an exhilarating feeling and is what keeps the job exciting and enjoyable. What is your fondest memory from your time at Goldman Sachs? Getting hired and the subsequent 5 week party (NY Analyst training)! What do you think has been your most valuable learning experience at Goldman Sachs so far? Aside from learning how to get into work at 6.45am after a night out and lasting the day, I'd probably say my first big mistake... Everyone makes them and seniors expect them from juniors. It is something that's not frowned upon here provided you leam from it and don't make it again! What are the "wows! "of being a trader or salesperson in FICC at Goldman Sachs? What are the worst parts? And what aspect of the firm's culture allows you to maximize the former and minimize the latter? There is no greater 'wow' than seeing the trading floor erupt in mayhem when news or out of consensus data is released. The other major 'wow' as a trader is the thrill of having risk on and managing it. As a salesperson, it's convincing a client to put on that big trade. The worst part has to be how the job ties you to your desk during busy times. The firm does emphasise a work-life balance - a healthy body and mind is known to produce a better worker. The wellness centre downstairs has everything from a great gym to a nutrition centre. Could you describe the lifestyle of a salesperson or trader for us? What hours do you typically work? Has there been a stage in your career when you seemed to spend all of your waking hours inside the office and having no social life? What do traders and salespeople do to have fun? How do you maintain a well-rounded lifestyle alongside the commitment to your career? My average hours are 6.45am-7pm, though they can vary quite a bit. Arriving and leaving from work in the darkness can be pretty tough and at times quite depressing. Thankfully I am free every weekend so I try to make the most of them. I personally think it is crucial to enjoy yourself outside of work. Most people are also quite keen on doing a decent amount of exercise too, which helps a lot with energy levels. Goldman Sachs is known for its unique culture. How would you describe it as an insider? How do you think the culture at Goldman Sachs compares to that at other banks? Having never worked at other banks I would rather not comment on the latter part of the question. When I first applied and experienced life here, the business principles were repeatedly emphasised (they can be found on the GS website) and now I understand why. They form the foundations of the business we conduct and I woiild say the main highlights for me are the driven yet humble nature of my colleagues, they need to service our clients in the best possible way while always trying to add value, the incredible emphasis on teamwork and the need to maintain honesty and integrity. Given this integrity and; teamwork ethic, colleagues have great trust in each other, even in junior's and this means a lot of responsibility for analysts and a steep learning If you were my best friend, what would you tell me about working in FICC that we haven't already discussed? As results would suggest, FICC is an extremely intense environment continually focused on generating P&L. This suits some people but not others. I try to see it as an opportunity to keep challenging myself and learning and thankfully there are fantastic and very talented people around you to-help you through it. If we look out over the next two or three years, which area of FICC do you identify as having the greatest opportunity? Given the dynamic nature of the markets, it is very difficult to predict this. In Emerging Markets - BRICs is the buzz word of the moment. How these nations develop both economically and politically is key and will shape how our presence in these nations changes. In addition, if political stability is reached, I think the Middle East will provide massive opportuni-, ties. Where do you see yourself in 5 years' time? At Goldman? Somewhere else? In the same role? In a different role? What are your ambitions? What kind of opportunities do you think will be open to you? Would you ever consider or recommend going to business school? Absolutely No idea... but as long as I keep enjoying this, I will stick with it! I'm not the best person to ask about Business School I'm afraid! Do you having a closing message for LSE students? Yes - Enjoy your years at university as much as you possibly can... once you start working, you'll really miss it!H GoMinan Prog^raitoi^ in Fixed Income, , Invi^ment Fiiffli^atandSer^il^ . " ¦ To mai#%%appIication lor iflie Goldinan Sachs Springy Programme' please visit www.gs.com/careers. The deadline for applications is 31st January 2007. Win. Win. Enter now. The competition is on Think smart Win smart At Accenture, it's our business to give our clients win-wm solutions built on smart thinking. But right now, we'd like to give you the chance to win one of five Smart cars. Much like a career with us, a Smart car will get you into places others can't It's a feeling our consultants know well. With access to the most prestigious clients across the world, they apply smart thinking to enable businesses in every conceivable sector to perform at the highest level. To enter the competition, you'll need to find out more about Accenture, one of the world's leading management consulting, technology services and outsourcing companies where we help our clients become high-performance businesses by delivering innovation. Visit our website for your chance to win a Smart car or one of our great runner-up prizes. Answer three simple questions and complete our interactive challenge - it could be the smartest move you make this year. accenture.com/thinksmart Consulting • Technology • Outsourcing accenture High performance. Delivered. CLASSIFIEDS leaver | 30 January 2007 bi 1^0- • ^ )^:«C-¦ ¦ ht classmeds M Send your advertisements, announcements and personals to listings@thebeaveronline.co.uk eveiy Friday to be featured here. Where to Eat Simon Douglas on Subway versus Paul It's not so long ago that France and the United States were metaphorically at each other's throats, and now I feel like the same thing I is going on in my stomach. Not :°i so far from LSE, my two favourite places to eat vie for S my gourmet attention (not to sound at all pretentious). One place sells cheap submarines, ^ the other quality French bread I - what an incredibly hard I decision it is. ^ Now you may think this is g a made-up comparison, but I I assure you it's not. I genuinely eat at least once a week at Paul's bakery just the other side of Covent Garden, and probably a couple more times at the Subway on the Aldwych, but the experiences are a world apart. Let's have a quick check of the prices. Subs at Subway , range fron? ^;i.99,up,tp ,abQi4 £3.50; I'm led to believe you can get things at Paul for around the £1.99 mark, but unless you can fill up on a demi-flute (half a smallish baguette for you Anglophones), you're unlikely to derive much satisfaction. My personal breakfast selection is the Corbeille du Patissier, which consists of a demi-flute, a croissant, a pain au chocolat and something else. No, I'm not saying 'something else' because I can't remember, but because in the recent price hike, the brioche in this meal was replaced by something akin to a very sticky danish. All of that costs £4.20, which is the same price as something simple like scrambled eggs on toast. Oh, and it's £2 for your glass of orange juice on the side. Add a coffee or something of that j^atur^,. „ taJKii)g about a £10 breakfast - aU very well for a city-worker (LSEers - you're not there yet!), but I know I can almost always feed myself for a day on half that. And their service, considering the price, is hardly great. Oh dear - this appears to have turned into a rant against Paul. I guess really my point is that, unless you want to buy over the odds for what -1 must admit - is good food in a nice environment, you should certainly consider the simplicity and customisability (every time I use this word it gets closer to the dictionary) of a Subway sub. It really is a lot more like France Vs America than I first realised. And, incidentally, Subway give a 10% student discount over their already fairly reasonable prices. Redpe of the Week Delicious roast chicken with rite nice gravy Josh Heller + a chicken + an oven = a delicious dinner Ingredients Some unsalted butter Some tarragon chopped a bit A couple of cloves of garlic squished Salt flakes Freshly ground pepper An onion chopped in 'alf A lemon chopped in 'alf A glass of white wine. A couple of ladles of chicken stock A tablespoon of flour Steps Firstly make sure you pat the skin of the bird very dry. Salt it a bit, leave to rest for a bit. Then in a bowl mix up the butter, the tarragon, the garlic, the salt and pepper. Rub the chicken all over including inside. Don't put too much butter on the skin or it won't be very crispy. Put inside the chicken the lemon and onion. Put in the oven at about 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. Take out, put the wine in the roasting tin. After about 40 minutes or when it's ready take the chicken out and set to rest. Meanwhile put the roasting tin on the hob, put in the flour (more if you like gravy thick), and the stock. Simmer for a while and stir around all the sticky bits from the chicken. Eat. Next week: Using the carcass to make deliciotts chicken stock... Discover Amina Adewusa This year, the LSE Islamic Society is bringing Discover Islam Week to a whole new level with a week filled with art, spirituality, politics, law, media and history. Our innovative events are aimed at promoting unity and understanding, whether between Muslims and non- Muslims, or staff and students. Highlights of the week will include a once-in-a-lifetime Launch Event with a photographer taking an aerial photograph of up to 100 LSE students positioned to spell the word "Salam"- which means peace in Arabic. This will underline the whole theme of the week, promoting the ¦ true message of Islam-peace in diversity. (13:30, John Watkins Plaza) On Tuesday 30th A1-; Jazeera's own Rageh Omaar will be speaking in the Hong Kong Theatre about his new ^ book, "Only Half of Me:--Being a Muslim in' Britain". Throughout the week * an art exhibition will be ¦ held in the library and -Quad, displaying the variety of talents in the Muslim community today - from modern graffiti styles, to delicate glass paintings and traditional calligraphy. All events are open to LSE students and the public. We hope that this week will ease any tensions that exist on our campus, and that by providing our fellow students with a basic understanding of this beautiful faith, we are that much closer to creating a harmonious society. This promises to be a week where minds, hearts and souls meet, as we DISCOVER ISLAM. For more information, visit: www.lseisoc.com 22 IBeaver | 30 January 2007 LISTINGS reviews "PUTYCXIRFEEUP WfflC' JAN 29-FEB 02 2007 Development Week 2007 TUESDAY 30/01 WEDNESDAY 31/01 THURSDAY 01/02 FRIDAY 02/02 12.00 onwards; Urban Chill Masseurs, Quad 16.00; "Got Stress, De-stress", D306 18.00; Yoga Meditation for a Balanced Existence, S421 09.00 onwards; FREE Fruit Breakfast! Quad 12.00; Yoga session with LSEAUYoga Club, D206 "Stress Day" raise money for charity, pay £2 to wear slippers 11.00; Getting out of debt advice session, G108 12.00 onwards; Urban Chill Masseurs, Quad 16.00; Tea Break - take time out of a stressful day. Parish Hall All day; LSESU gym open day - ick up a pass at SU reception 11.00; Quit smoking! PVee session ,H202 The Big Christian Grill WH&^ mm All this week Houghton Street Development society's annual Development Week is back bigger than ever! Free Development experts will be looking at this year's theme of Empowerment through the role of microfinance (Monday), the influence of international aid (Tuesday) and the relationship between trade unions and development (Friday). Development society is also hosting a careers event on Wednesday - for members only as the event was oversubscribed by over 100 last year! The highlight of the week is naturally PURE, our (in)famous fundraising auction. Voted Best Society Event in 2005 and raising £7,000 for RAG last year, it is guaranteed to be an exciting night! All proceeds are donated to WaterAid, an international charity dedicated to providing safe water and sanitation in the developing world. Development' society has so far raised over £12,000 for WaterAid... Come and help us raise more! Also the Brazilian and Destin societies are participating in Development Week this year, organising events on Latin American development and corporate social responsibility. Are you: burning with questions about God, sceptical of the Christian faith or clueless about who Jesus was? Do you want a chance at getting those questions answered? Join the Apologetics Society and LSE SU Christian Union on "Hiesday 30th January at 12:00 in the Parish Hall as Michael Ramsden from the Zacharias Trust comes to LSE for a one-time only Big Grill session. Michael is director of the Zacharias Trust and travels extensively speaking on university campuses and to civic and church organizations. Before going to university, Michael worked with the Lord Chancellor's Department investing money in the stock market. He obtained his undergraduate degree in law at the University of Hull, England, and then went on to study at the University of Sheffield for a doctorate in law and economics where he taught moral philosophy in the law department. He will be kicking off with a short talk and wiU leave plenty of time for Q&A. mm WHK HOW MUCH IHiesdav :iOth Parish Hall Janduarv UNICEF: Day for Change February 2nd UNICEF's Day f Change. This is a| fun and educational! fundraising event,! where we all get the] chance to do something different in| exchange for making a small donation I to UNICEF. Every year UNICEF focuses on different countries and different development issues each year. This year, we will be raising money for education projects in Kenya. Education brings dramatic social benefits for future generations. The impact of quality education extends beyond the children: they can help their families with essential day-to-day tasks like reading bills or medical prescriptions. We will be having a movie screening of Ewan McGregor's trip to Malawi (with free drinks and nibbles!) on Thursday the 1st of February, and giving out free tea and coffee, holding a raffle and also additional fund-raising activities on Friday the 2nd (Day for Change). So visit our stall on Houghton St to get involved and make a difference! LSE Stress Down Day With Samaritans Thursday, 1st February Information Stall 12-2 Old Building FREE tea and biscuits at tiie Stress down tea break 45|NnintiieParisiiHali Wfear pr slippers, and siippers a couple of quid Help us to help others a aLPHAjBOOKS SJSIe STARTING WEEK 4 lOOs of titles at half-price Fresh titles added every week Bargains to be found i LISTINGS Beaver | 30 January 2007 23 Listings 13.30 14.00 15.00 18.15 19.00 08.30 11.00 13.00 15.00 11 r. 16.00 17.00 17.30 18.00 r JI gCM 00 08.30; Christian Union Prayer meeting, Chapliancy EVERYDAY 09.30; Catholic Pro-life Group meeting, Caffe Nero 14.00: Yoga Ashtanga Yoga classes. Badminton Court 15.00; CCSA Chinese classes B-class, D206 18.15: Yoga Intermediate Ashtanga Yoga classes, D002 19.00; Debate Weekly meeting, D302 Dance Ballet (Beginners), H216 Conservative Oliver Heald MP, D502 20.00: Dance Ballet (Advanced), H216 Brazilian and French Party: Je t'aime Brasil, Underground Bar 08.30 13.00 CV Prayer Meeting, Chaplaincy Catholic Mass, Chaplaincy Green Party Weekly meeting, H104 Hindu Vedic lunch, D211 Anime and Manga Drawing class and gaming session, Z129 Accounting Homework help session, G107 Student Action for Refugees Weekly meeting, A283 Go Meeting, VlOl Yoga Intermediate Hatha Yoga, D002 Pakistan Weekly meeting, U203 Opera Weekly meeting, HI 04 China Development Tea and Knowledge, G1 Maths and Stats Homework help session, Z332 Chess Meeting, K05 CSS A Chinese classes B-class, V103 Bridge Weekly meeting, G107 CSSA Chinese class 1, H206 Politics Discussion forum, H103 Swing Dance Improvers class (Cost members: £2.50, non-members: £3.50), C108 "¦¦i 18.00: 18.15: 19.00: 20.30 CU Prayer Meeting, Chaplaincy Australia and New Zealand Weekly meeting, D9 Student's Union UGM, Old Theatre CSSA Chinese classes, K05 Music Business Star Hunt Auditions (email su.soc.music-business@lse.ac.uk to apply), TBC AIESEC Weekly meeting, S300 EVERYDAY Yoga Hatha Yoga, Badminton Court Argentinean Tango Classes, K05 People and Planet Weekly meeting, H103 Sikh-Punjab Music class, S78 Dance Intermediate hip-hop class, S75 Filipino Tagalog lessons, G107 Visual Arts Life drawing class, D206 Development Week "Corporate Social Responsibility & International Development - is Business the solution?", S75 Catholic Bible-sharing Group, Chaplaincy Debate Workshop, D302 Dance Hip Hop (Advanced), H202 Development Week PURE Fundraising Auction: "10 hot guys, 10 hot girls, 5 LSE celebs and YOU!", Quad Dance Hip Hop (Beginners), Badminton Court 08.30: CU Prayer Meeting, Chaplaincy 10.00; UNICEF Day for Change, Houghton Street 13.00: Yoga Intermediate Acrobatic Yoga, D702 14.00: CSSA Chinese classes A-class, Y115 Development Week "Trade Unions and Development - Empowering Workers", G108 15.00: Go Weekly meeting, K05 16.00; CSSA Chinese classes 0-class, S221 17.00: Hindu Gita classes, DII 19.00: Dance Ballet class, S75 20.00: CRUSH Jukebox Crush, Quad, Underground Bar, Three Tuns 12.00: Knitting Workshop, Quud 16.00: CSSA Chinese Classes - B-class, K05 17.30: Yoga Hatha Yoga, Badminton Court 19.00: Swing Dance Classes, D502 Dance Street Jazz, G1 \ JBUS AW i JAN 29 - FEB 02 2007 TUESDAY 30/01 12.00 WEDNESDAT 31/01 12.00 THURSDAY 01/02 12.00 FRroAY 02/02 12.00 "Why does it matter whether God exists?", Parish Hall "Is Jesus from God?", Parish Hall "The Reliability of the Bible", A379 "Jesus among other gods". Parish Hall Fi iSs P'k- TUESDAY 30/01 WEDNEDAY 31/01 THURSDAY 01/02 10.00: Art Exhibition, Qwad 19.00: "Only Half of Me" with Rageh Omaar, Hong Kong Theatre ,W,;1 14.00: Guided Tour of the London Central Mosque, meet outside Old Building 18.00; Chinese Islamic Calligraphy Workshop, V308 18.00; "Who needs religion anyway?", D402 Aled Dilwyn Fisher Environment and Ethics Officer, Monday, 13.00 Anushka Shenoy General Course Officer, Tuesday 13.00 Sid Kamath Executive Editor, The Beaver, Tuesday 14.00 E204 Fadhil Bakeer Markar International Students Officer, Tuesday 13.00 Ali Dewji Communications Officer, Tuesday 16.00 Enuna Hallgren Students with Disabilities Officer, Tuesday 15.00 Jimmy Tain General Secretary, Thursday 14.00 U8S Michail Retsinas Mature and Part-Time Students' Officer, Wednesday 16.00 D302 Joel Kenrick Treasurer, Thursday 14.00 Alex Finnegan LGBT Officer, Thursday 14.00 (Alex Vincenti's office) Adrian Beciri Returning Officer, Thursday 14.00 James Caspell i Zoe Sullivan Women's Officer, Thursday 10.00 D703 Louise Robinson Residences' Officer, Thursday 12.00 Alexandra Vincenti Education and Welfare Officer, Friday 14.00 Shanela Haque Anti-Racism Officer, Friday 11.00 Arthur Krebbers Societies' Officer, Friday 13.00 —WW wises uxoTO/^hatsoQ-- 24 leaver j 30 January 2007 CLASSIFIEDS Classifieds i .-^v '".f-.' ..t.-- ' • •' "t " Iv "IV' -I a 2 v< r f -frvis- -< ^ ,A V> ^ V -- ¦^'' aLPHA,BOOKS SM-e STARTING WEEK 4 f^v?0 The annual National Student Survey is here! It finds out what final year students in British universities think about their degree course. The results are published nationally and taken very seriously by Howard Davies and the LSE, so it's really important that all final year undergraduates complete the survey. In order for the results to be valid, we need at least 50% of frnal year undergraduates to take pari (I'm sure as social scientists you'll understand the logic). So do the survey today at www.thestudentsurvev.com - lust click on 'Start Survey', it doesn't take very long and you'll be helping to itTi prove the LSE experience for generations to come! LSE IOCS of titles at half-price Fresh titles added every week Bargains to be found Wit:h 7500 students from over 140 countries, the London School of Economics is one of the most respected as well as international universities in the world. The wide range of students' backgrounds and activities is reflected in a varie of national and cultural societies. The German Society, with more than 350 members, is one of the largest and most active national societies on campus. It promotes an interest in German culture, politics, economy and language. The society is run by a group of democratically elected students. They commit a considerable amount of their spare time to the organisation of various lectures by high profile German and international speakers as well as a wide range of social and cultural events. Now running in its fifth year, the German Symposium has become a regular fixture on the LSE Events Calendar. jm 'German Society The London School of Economics and Political Science We are looking forward to seeing you th^rp. Committee Members: Clemens Metz Selma Stern Ella Stapelfeldt Klaus Brosamle Lea Bauer Quirin Busse Anne-Marie Grossmann Bartosz Krupiczojc Peter Kulka Alexander Rohm Dominik Schuster President Secretary Treasurer Political Affairs Officer Member of the Board Member of the Board Member of the Board Member of the Board Member of the Board Member of the Board Member of the Board Mobility sponsor: Audi German Symposium 2007 5th-9th February London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE Proudly sponsored by: CioKinian Saclis Greenhill Deutsche Bank m www.Isegs.de Think Germany? Think again! Next week (5th - 9th February), cultural, political and economic aspects of Germany will be at the centre of LSE's attention. The SU German Society is organising its fifth annual Symposium, a series of lectures, discussions, a movie screening and what's possibly the best party on campus - Oktoberfest Crush! Former chancellor Gerhard Schroder is opening the German Symposium on Monday 5th February. The rest of the week will be packed with high profile guests speaking about topics ranging from the aviation industry to transatlantic relations (topics still subject to change!). On Thursday 8th February, a topical German movie will be screened in the Quad. Look out for posters, flyers and the Society's stall on Houghton Street on Thursday this week. And make sure you get your tickets for (in)famous Oktoberfest Crush, on sale from 5th February on Houghton Street!!! With free German beer!! Bis bald... mm SPORTS leaver | 30 January 2007 25 ¦¦ v Nadal overpowers Murray in Aussie epic SPORTSDESK Sumit Buttoo British number 1 Andrew Murray came oh so close to claiming yet another elite scalp in this epic battle between two of the game's brightest young players. This match had been eagerly anticipated from the moment Murray disposed of Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela with devastating ease. That was Murray's third match of the tournament, and going into the Nadal clash he was yet to drop a set. With the Spaniard also playing some of his best tennis in his last match against Stanislas Wawrinka, this match was setup to be a clash of the titans. Now more often than not, matches in any sports that are billed as such turn out to be damp squibs. Take Liverpool vs Chelsea matches for example, or Roger Federer against Andy Roddick in Wimbledon finals. But these two eager beavers quickly dampened any fear of that. The magnificent Rod Laver arena was the fitting venue, and the thousands that stayed on to watch into the early hours saw some truly world class tennis for very nearly four hours. Nadal was put in to serve by Murray who had won the toss. An eleven shot rally ended with Murray putting a forehand wide. Not a bad start to what was to become an impressive match. A thirteen shot rally followed at 40-30 in the Scot's first service game, with Murray this time coming out on top with a blistering forehand winner down the line. Murray's aces were a big feature throughout the match, but especially early on. His second ace was fired down at 207km/h (129mph) and at that stage he had a first serve percentage of 79, which is phenomenal by anyone's standards. The evenness of the contest continued through the first set, and after Nadal pummelled another inside-out forehand to take a 6-5 lead, a tiebreak looked inevitable. Sure enough it came, and you would have had to have been very risk-loving to bet on who would take it. Nadal started the breaker and Murray immediately took charge, by breaking after an all-court exchange. Another ace followed and it was all looking rosy for Murray. But then Murray hit a weak forehand into the net, and a wayward return made it 2-2. Nadal won the next point after another poor Murray shot, but after Murray slammed down another ace, he really turned on the style. The first call challenge of the night came from Murray at 3-3, when he thought an "ace" of his had wrongly been called out. He was proved correct by Hawk-eye and Murray reeled of the next four points to win his tenth set in a row at this year's tournament, with Hawk-eye again being employed at set point after Murray disputed a ball that was called in when it was actually out. Murray was clearly buoyed by taking the first set and took his momentum into the second as he opened up a 4-1 lead, a Photograph: yorbis lead that could have been 4-0 had he taken one of three break points in Nadal's opening service game. Not to worry though as Murray did break in Nadal's next game and consolidated it. All of a sudden it was a set and 4-1 in favour of Murray, and everyone was wondering which of the two it But then came the bUp that the majority, if not all players go through in 5 set matches f9 players was second only to Federer in the world rankings. But then came the blip that the majority, if not all players go through in 5 set matches. Murray began to struggle with an injury and Nadal took full advantage to take the next five games and ultimately the set. Murray seemed close to tears at one point as Nadal ruthlessly took the tenth game of the set 40-15. Murray threw in a double fault to allow Nadal a 2-1 lead in the third set and you sensed Murray was on his way out. But Murray was not about to go easily. Out of nowhere he found a break to make it 3-3, and the famous Nadal fist pump action was matched as Murray powered his way to a 6-4 third set win. The temperature in the arena was already around 30c; now it had gone up a few notches as the crowd reached fever pitch. You could say Murray was in dreamland, and unfortunately so it proved. Nadal has got to number 2 in the world partly due to his unmatchable never-say-die attitude, and now was the time to show it again. He was not about to lose to a guy one year younger than him and who he had only hit with on a practice court before when they used to train in Barcelona together. After exchanging service games in the first few games of the fourth set, Nadal stepped it up to break at 3-3 after Murray netted a routine volley. A net chord helped the Spaniard get set point on Murray's serve and the cardinal sin of a double fault gave him it 6-3. Many would have agreed that if this match went all the way, Nadal would be the overwhelming favourite due to his almost super-human stamina. He played the fifth set like the match had only just begun! And it proved too much for the plucky Briton. It could have been very different had Murray converted any of five break points he had on the first two Nadal service games. But Murray's break point conversion rate had let him down during the whole match, and his big-point plays deserted him again. His frustration showed as he shouted at himself, coach Brad Gilbert and anyone else in his firing line. Nadal found another gear and Murray just could not stay with him as the score rushed to 5-0. Only great character by Murray saw him get on the scoreboard in the fifth set, but Nadal was not to be denied and more errors from Murray handed it on a plate to Nadal as he took his final service game 40-15. An unbelievable passing shot from Nadal wrapped it up and he sank to the floor in relief as he acknowledged the fact that he had just been part of the best match of the tournament so far The respect was tangible as the two players shook hands and thanked each other in the customary way only tennis provides. Murray has had a meteoric rise up the world rankings to 16, and he is still not even 20. The frightening thing is that Nadal is only one year older and already has two Grand Slams and a world number 2 ranking under his belt. Nadal's much superior breakpoint taking proved crucial tonight, but Murray has much to be proud of. Take it from me, Murray beating Nadal is • much nearer than you could ever imagine. ..... A Bale-fal transfer window Kevin Periy Football's Transfer Window closes tomorrow, and up until now it has been as dull as an Econometrics lecturer showing you his rubber band collection. To summarise: Lucas Neill is being paid too much by West Ham, Aston Villa have paid too much for Ashley Young, Manchester United have failed to entice Bayern Munich into giving up the flowing locks of Owen Hargreaves, and lots of people who are old enough to know better have got awfully excited about a 17-year-old left back from Southampton. Tottenham and Manchester United seem to be the favourites to part with an awful lot of money for Gareth Bale, who was little heard of even a few months ago, but is now mentioned in hushed and reverential tones by football supporters the length and breadth of the country. Despite the rash of media coverage focused on this young man, he is still something of an enigma, so I set off to do some investigative journalism at Wikipedia. In the week that The Beaver finally goes online, I leamt some valuable lessons about the reliability of the Internet. Bale, I learnt, "attended Llanishen High School in Cardiff, where, as well as football, he played rugby and hockey and was a distance runner. Various RE 'teachers' have taken a shining to the young kid. Because of his superior skills, the school's P.E. teacher, Gwyn Morris, had to write special rules, restricting Bale to playing in the 'crab football' style to give others a chance. Whilst at Whitchurch High School, Gareth bummed around at Southampton's satellite Academy in Bath, where (I paraphrase), 'because of his initial confusion over his sexuality, there was some doubt if Southampton would give him a scholarship'. Despite being only "54" at the time, he helped the school's under-18 side win the Cardiff & Vale Senior Cup in "1876". He left school in the summer of 2070 with a Grade E in P.E. amongst his GCSE results. In his final year at school he was awarded the P.E. department's prize for services to sport. In the presentation, Mr. Morris commented: "Gareth has a fierce determination to succeed and has the character and qualities to achieve his personal goals. He is one of the most unselfish individuals that I have had 'the pleasure' to help educate (sexually)."" This massively libellous entry, and one that The Beaver cannot confirm, seems to be one that needs investigation by Wikipedia's quality controllers, but I will not be at all surprised if the last editor of U [Gareth Bale] left school in the summer of 2070 with a Grade E in P.E the article was one siralexferg of Manchester, England. The days of mind game are not dead yet. What is more verifiable is the fact that the most exciting transfer gossip of the window is lacklustre at best. With many of Europe's top players cup-tied for the important competitions, it seems that the glory days of players flirting with clubs mid-season are over. I can't be the only supporter who thinks that condensing the possibility of transfers down to a mere month has taken some of the fun out of being a football fan. Namely the constant speculation and beer-fuelled-banter over which former World-Player-Of-The-Year had been spotted "discussing terms" at the ground. But perhaps the days of the big name star are waning, killed off by the end of the galacticos. Both Man United and Spurs fans seem genuinely excited about signing someone who is little more than a promising prospect. See Theo Walcott and even Wayne Rooney as further examples of this phenomena: the up-and-coming British prospect is the new glamorous-world-beater. The exception which proves the rule is one Andrei Shevchenko. When he was signed many neutrals were delighted: while it seemed to be a symptom of Chelsea's continued dominance, at least they were bringing a genuinely world class star to play in our league. The general consensus was that this man was the planet's foremost goal-scorer. Just, months later, with Chelsea in tatters and Shevchenkoi scrapping to salvage his reputa tion, it is once*: again Alex Ferguson who seems to have made the shrewdest moves by choosing' hungry youngsters over established stars. Tottenham are another case in point, as Aaron Lennon and Tom Huddlestone have consistently outshone Edgar Davids to the point of forcing him out of the club. The Nike-advert elite have never looked so old or tired. So tomorrow, before the window slams shut and banishes us all to a transfer-less run in, managers from either end of the table will be focusing their attention more on academies than on trophy-winners. Namedropping Gareth Bale may not have the same ring to it as Roberto Carlos, but that won't count _jigainst him in the ^stampede of i^deadline day i^a c t i o n Itomorrow. Photograph: Corbis 26 leaver] 30 January 2007 SPORTS \ SPQRTSDESK SuiK'brt Uininton 'A This morning while rummaging on Google I found a paper titled 'The Case of the Great Pumpkin Incident' - A study of Sports Crowd Behaviour. I thought that the paper, by Linda Levy may supply answers to the cancer that exists in sports crowd, between spectators and sometime involving players. My desire to research came as a result of the news that the Dutch team Feyenoord arc dismissed from the UEFA cup (to my delight) after crowd rioting and Trevor Brennan and Gareth Thomas of Toulouse face a disciplinary panel after aggressively attempting to enter one of the seating areas. If aggressively attempting to enter is now seen as a crime then you should see the entrance of Wrights Bar between 12pm and 2pm. Crowd trouble has always and will always be a problem. If you serve reasonably priced alcohol at a sporting event then you must provide large tanks with missiles and half an army to control the mess. Unless it's cricket whereupon making sure the crowd are full of egotistical toffs who don't want to get their hair messed up or hands bloody usually does the job. If you don't serve alcohol then you have to understand that the crowds are sober, that means they are not going to be stupid enough to hurl abuse at the little kid with the 7 foot 8 inch bouncer of a father, instead they will have the noddle to direct their anger at where it should be directed: the sportsmen themselves. After all the crowd has paid good money to see their team win. You see to take on a player, you have to be remotely sober and remotely deranged because lets face it you are not going to get away with it. On the darker side of the scale are the planned incidents, the Seles stabbing in 1993 for example, or when the Colombian footballer Andres Escobar was murdered for an own goal that put his home nation out of the World Cup. Now don't get me wrong I've wanted to give Robinson a few slaps in my time and if I put down in words what I wanted to do to Graham Poll then I may be linked to any future incident but due to the fact my head is remotely screwed on I try not to go near firearms within forty minutes of the final whistle. Instead, as most of you saw last Wednesday, I tend to just hit the bar and knock myself into oblivion. Murder, I consider as a little extreme, flying kung fu kick is still bordering on silliness, but punching a player in the head to nick his cap to sell on Ebay is bloody hysterical. One fan at an LA dodgers match punched Chad Kreuter in the back of the head and stole his cap. The result was a mass brawl between 16 players, numerous spectators and three coaches and a good chuckle all round. Violence is fine if it's funny and everyone likes to tell the tale. Any idiot can throw a coin on the pitch, and hurl some abusive comments, although it is certainly not right, I imagine players, to a certain extent, expect it and it's all part of being in the public eye and at the heart of a very passionate profession. Eric Cantona however, during a tense match tie with Palace decided to hit, or should I say kick back when he launched himself into the crowd with a two-footer kung fu kick that would put Bruce Lee to shame. The I<>enchman took out Matthew Simmons -the man who had previously RAN to the front of the stand so the Frenchman would here his best froggy joke. Racism in football crowds is disgustingly still very much alive, Man United taking on Crystal Palace in 'tense' match ties are sadly not. The most useful fact I discovered in my research is that the god of all pitch invaders and sports crowd trouble makers has to be a defrocked Irish priest of all people named Cornelius Horan. Horan, who is KNOWN for disruption was allowed awfully close to the finishing line of the 2004 Olympics men's marathon. Like a lion ready to pounce on his prey, Horan waited patiently for race leaver Vanderlei de Lima to pass whereupon he jumped on his back and pulled him into the crowd, making him lose his lead and end up finishing a measly third. Sport is extremely passionate, I nearly broke my hand after the England Greece qualifier and that beautiful Beckham free kick, when I jumped in the air, forgot I wasn't a midget and took out the light fitting. I then fell back down to have my left eye come into contact with my smaller and slightly 'late to react' mate next to me. Fractured hand, black eye and one of the best sporting moments ever and that was a good result. So what have we learnt? If your team has just fucked up majorly, take a deep breath and hit the bar, you then will fall over in the ladies loos and knock yourself out putting you out of any potential street fight or brawl. If you are an overzealous souvenir supported at least give the sportsman the decency of punching him in the front of his face. Pumpkins are far more effective and friendly than pound coins, especially when lit. Under no circumstances take the laws into your own hands, I'm sure the referee had his own reasons for giving that penalty/sending off that player/ ruining the only thing you cared about... violence is not the answer. Venting insults in poetry is e.g. fuclcing cunts. Finally don't insult big Frenchmen, unless you are Bruce Lee whereupon go ahead but that may be a sporting event in itself. Ci A quiet week for betting, the Punter gives advice for budding gamblers wanting to read up on the subject The betting markets have been extremely quiet this week with little happening. Indeed, I have to admit that I've been unable to find any new money making opportunities. Therefore, I am going to look at the literature and resources available for those i interested in gambling. A good | basic book to start with is The i Definitive Guide to Betting on Sport by Bruce Millington. It [ covers all the basics about the different forms of betting and provides a general overview on a variety of sports. It also gives some ideas about developing models to predict the results of sporting events and talks about the recent history of gambling in the UK. However, it ignores the academic literature on the subject, has little on political (or financial) betting and gives nothing over than platitudes on risk management. Betting to Win: A Professional Guide to Profitable Betting by Leighton Vaughan Williams focuses on the extensive academic literature on biases in betting markets. Indeed, the book is worth buying for the bibliography alone. However, it should be noted that many of these biases (especially the favourite-long shot bias) only occur in fixed-odds betting, and merely enable the punter to lose less than the bookies over-round (the difference between the total implied probabilities of all event outcomes and 100%). The fact that Williams is a professor, rather than an industry professional, means that he gives little advice other than what could be deduced from an afternoon searching JSTOR. A final problem with the book is that it doesn't talk in detail about staking plans. The final book is Fixed Odds Sports Betting: Statistical Forecasting and Risk Management by Joseph Buchdal. As the title implies it focuses completely on sports betting and gives little qualitative information about the sport. However, it does cover risk management, staking plans and diversification in depth. It also gives far more detail about constructing forecasting systems than the Millington book. The only drawback is that it requires a certain basic level of mathematical knowledge and that even the best forecasting systems rarely produce impressive results. Use any advice given here at your own risk and don't gamble what you cannot afford to lose. Columnist(s) may have positions in wagers mentioned. Prices quoted are correct at time of going to press. What do Big Brother and cricket have in common? As all of us stuck in Blighty at this time of year wrap up warm and dig in for the winter, it is somewhat difficult, even for a cricket lunatic like myself, to find much of interest in the dog-end of England's tour of the other side of the world. In Australia, conditions at Melbourne for the start of the Australian Open were so hot that several players didn't even make it onto the court. In Haringey, North London, I looked out of my window last Thursday afternoon and saw my garden fence blow over. I decided to go back to bed. Unfortunately for all those looking for a distraction from the reality, England continue to make heavy weather as they struggle towards the finish line in Australia. In only three months on tour, England have registered just one win, against New Zealand, and continue to have their faces ground into the dirt by Australia, who beat them by an embarrassing nine wickets on Friday. Poor old England. As before when these situations arise, one feels that a side made up of the Sky Sports commentary team and the golden oldies out playing world cup beach cricket (the 'overweight' Darren Gough included) would fare better. Truthfully, England look like they just want to go home. With Australia so dominant down under, the wider cricketing world holds more interest. In India, the West tion of having to prepare for the cricket World Cup, being played in the West Indies, with a one-day series on the opposite side of the world. Unlike England vs Australia, both the West Indies and India are strong sides and the matches have been competitive, so far 2-1 in India's favour. More topically, as the furore over racist bullying in Big Brother dominated the week's news debate last week in the UK, the cricket world has had a racism scandal of its own. In South Africa, Herschelle Gibbs, the South-African batsman, was overheard by the stump-microphones aiming racist remarks at Pakistani travelling supporters in the crowd during the first Test Match against Pakistan earlier in the month. Cricket's governing body the ICC has, luckily, a more robust mechanism for dealing with these issues than Channel 4, but despite a two-test ban for Gibbs the occurrence has sparked controversy. Gibbs' remarks, which included calling the supporters 'a bunch of bloody animals' and suggesting they 'go back to the fucking zoo' might not have sounded out of place coming from the mouth of Jade Goody. Gibbs himself is a coloured South African, but his appeal against the ban fell, Richie Benaud producing the definitive judgement that 'If you do not use the words they do not get to air'. Both Gibbs and Jade Goody have loudly protested their innocence to the charge of being racist, or, in Goody's terms, 'racial', and perhaps with some merit. In Gibbs defence, he had been provoked by similarly offensive abuse being directed at his team by tograph: members of the Pakistani supporters before the incident. The implication seems to be that, when angered, racist abuse is continued to be considered acceptable behaviour, on both sides of the fence. This issue is not without recent precedent. Last year, South Africa lodged complaints against Cricket Australia of racist abuse coming from Australian crowds, and concerns were even raised for our own Monty Panesar at the beginning of the Ashes tour this winter. Luckily perhaps for Monty, bizarre selection policy meant he didn't get a game until half way through the tour, by which point even the most xenophobic of Aussie fans were doubtless relieved to see an English bowler who could actually bowl. Yet the question of whether cricket too is beginning to slip down the slope towards asbo-land should be considered. Mike Atherton is fond of saying that the image of cricket as being a gentlemanly game is a load of rubbish- anyone who's played knows It can.spmetimes be quite the opposite. Take the current series in Australia for example. The 2005 Ashes series was played overwhelmingly in an atmosphere of goodwill; back in Australia, some even accused the Australian players of going 'too soft' on the old enemy. The recent contest, while largely friendly, has not always managed to escape from the sort of triumphalism that is never far away from a complete drubbing. Only a few times have events spilled out of hand on the pitch, most often when Shane Warne was involved, but on the other side of the fence in sections of the media, Australian and British, a less than magnanimous attitude has been on display, quick to seize upon and laugh at England's poor showing. At the end of the test series, captain Flintoff was quick to bow before the boozy mass of the Barmy Army, England's diehard pint-sloshing travelling fans who come into their real element only when England are performing hopelessly. It might have been, in an ironic sort .of 5vay, the. most .telling thmg Flmtoff did all series. It may just as well have been heartfelt thanks from a beleaguered captain who found his only friends in the comer of the ground closest to the beer tent. Ultimately, we can conclude either that cricket and sport is not invincible to the symptoms of today's moral panics, or that we become more eager to seek out those symptoms when we become concerned about them. Either way, the most positive story to come out of the cricket world recently should put events into perspective. Makaya Ntini, the South African fast bowler, last week reached 300 test wickets, only the third South African and 21st worldwide to do so. He was one of the first black cricketers to play for South Africa, and is now probably the best fast bowler in the world. For those who worry, justly, that racism is still an issue, his success is indicative of how far we have come. IBeaver | 30 January 2007 27 Football Footle firsts back with a bang Gareth "Fishy" Fishlock ------------------- Mighty Mighty ists Queen Mar>' A football pitch Regular readers of BeaverSports will have noticed that something hasn't been quite right this year. Sure there's the usual sub-standard articles about sports that nobody gives two shits about, and some wank column about who pulled who at Walkabout. But something has been missing, and by something I mean the weekly exploits of the Mighty Mighty Ists. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, I entrusted the ^ ¦ y ^ ^ More football job of writing the match reports to James 'Lone Wolf Little, a man about as reliable as Tom Bray's method of contraception. Secondly, our results thus far have left a lot to be desired. To say we struggled in BUS A last term is like saying Brummie enjoys a burger - it just doesn't tell the whole story. Due to a combination of tough opposition and tough luck we went into the Christmas period having lost 9 out of our 11 matches. Why would I want the rest of LSE knowing I was Captaining a team who were performing almost as badly as those fat fucks in the Rugby club? No match reports would be written until I had started to turn things around. Long-term injuries to Ron 'Texas-Ranger' Hogsett and the dirty Irishman Cillin Horgan forced me into action, I quickly 'tapped-up' Lee Smallwood and James Hackett from the 2nd Team and they officially joined amid a media frenzy in early January. With Smallwood's composure at the back and Hackett's energy up top - what could go wrong? We had the ideal opportunity to get the ball rolling with an away fixture against Queen Marys. Regular title-challengers, QM's performances this season have been about as impressive as a small poo. The 3 points were there for us. Maybe it was the energy buzzing around the LSE boys before kick-off or maybe it was the fact that Mike Maynard's cock was dangling below his shorts, but the QM team looked scared. They had a right to be, it was one-way traffic from the first whistle and the deadlock was broken within ten minutes. Good work down the right from debutant Smallwood and the vertically challenged Alex Bond created an opening for yours truly to hook the ball past the fat bastard in the QM goal. In front and looking good, we went on to dominate the next quarter of an hour, and despite numerous comers and a few glaring chances for fresher Knoertzer and myself, the score stayed at 1-0. The goals would come shortly. A liability at best, but the Lone Wolf Little had started brightly and looked to have formed an early understanding with new-boy Hackett. The two strikers linked up well down the right before laying the ball back for Matt 'Body Beautiful' Joy to have a pop at goal from 25 yards. Watching Joyboy shoot from that distance reminds me of when my little 2yr old nephew pissed all Kt ¦ ¦ jsSS' over me at my local pub, it was messy and embarrassing for everyone involved. Incredibly, he not only made a good connection, but hit the target. Jim Little's unreliable protege, Mike Maynard, was first to react and slotted home the rebound. It seemed their fat fuck of a goalie couldn't catch a cold and his next spillage would cost his team dearly. More good work down the right from Smalls and Bondy gave me another chance, this time my left foot shot smashed into the keeper's face and fell kindly for Joy to nod in the third. Just when Brummie, Shank-man San and Chief Metrosexual Rich Gull were getting bored at the back, QM gave us a scare. A jinky run from some little blond kid took the ball past 3 of our defenders and forced Gull into a smart save. Another week on the Special K diet and Brummie will nip those attacks in the bud. Half-time and 3-0 to the good but in all honestly it should have been five or six. Could this devastation continue for another 45 minutes? If there's one thing about the Mighty Mighty Ists, it's that we know how to keep it up. Playing uphill and into the wind second half, QM could have put us under a bit of pressure, but like the Rugby boys in a boat race they completely bottled it. We pinned them back in their half straight away and started to play what can only be described as 'sexy-football'. After stroking the ball along the back line. Smalls, Bondy and Mike exchanged a few cute passes before laying back to the Brumster who unleashed Hackett in behind the QM defence. A simple ball across the box allowed me to grab my second with a tap-in. Total football that Arsenal would be proud of. Soon after, the two new-boys combined to make it 5. More composed passing at the back gave Smallwood the time to look up and launch a 40yrd cross-field ball which landed on Hackett's head and flew into the bottom comer. An elated Hackett threw up his arms and pulled what I can only describe as an 'orgasm' face; a look of sheer ecstasy. I'm sure there are a few female readers who know what I'm talking about. Shank-man and our French whiz-kid Knoertzer had been hideously under-used thus far but they would get their tum. A quick switch of the play from right to left, and San played Joe in behind. He had already missed a sitter and was attacking from a tight angle but like Andy Burton on the pull, he doesn't know when to give up - no matter what odds are stacked against him. A firm left-footed drive made it 6-0, and it was party time. Sherif 'Homeless' Salem and the rough tackling Jim Davies entered the fray to add some fresh legs to the midfield. Shef nearly grabbed number 7 but he has to wait for his first 1st team goal as his effort went agonisingly wide. Birthday-boy Bondy, now 12 years of age, also went close but his powerful free-kick rebounded off the bottom of the post. Watching from the sidelines, I felt sorry for the QM team by this stage as Jim Little perhaps took it too far. The Lone Wolf danced past 4 of their players before taking the ¦ ball back past the same 4 players and kicking the ball out of play. "I would normally pass it but its party time!" he shouted. How demoralising for the QM players. It wasn't long after that the ref blew up for full-time and Rich Gull hurried us into the showers, a job weU done. Can we defend our ULU league title? Only time will tell. But giving QM the type of battering yobs reserve for OAPs and producing quite possibly the most complete 1st Team performance in my memory is certainly a step in the right direction. Vivyan neuters Vets' challenge SPORTSDESK Rupert Guest Champagne Tths 6 Royal School of Vets i. Benylands On a crisp Saturday afternoon, a rejuvenated Sevenths team clashed with lower league opposition in the second round of the ULU Cup. The absence of Nick Green meant vice-captain Nick Quin and ex-skipper Ed Calow stepped into the leadership void. Both these men had been integral parts of cup winning teams in Calella, and their experience proved invaluable in overcoming a frankly agricultural Vets team. Adrian Beciri and Chris 'Scrumpy' Chapman were restored to the line-up to add the necessary grit needed for the Cup. There was also a welcome return for George Karaolis after a stint with Citigroup's Corporate Clowning Divison. Deemed 'the best player in the world' during a frenzied game of taps the previous Wednesday, the 'popular' Cypriots return provided the humour that backline stability relies on. The first twenty minutes conjured up images of the classic cup encounters of old, with the Seventh's midfield engine setting a high tempo. Great work from lacovas Kouppas combined with inept goalkeep-ing allowed Beciri to slot home his third of the season and start a deluge of goals that established the Sevenths as early cup favourites. Ed Calow then decided to make a mockery of the Vets by ambling through' their entire' tefam before having his deft chip palmed onto the bar. "Bloody hell". It was only a matter of time before LSE added the killer second goal and Nick Vivyan obliged by poking home from a trademark K-Lo through ball. The Sevenths team leading scorer then completed his brace by latching onto a clinical pass from the Doctor. Total domination. The Vets re-grouped at the start of the second half by sending on their impact players. These replacements resembled a who's who of kids who were perennially picked last. There was the guy wearing beach shorts, the guy wearing leggings and everyone's favourite; the guy who is wider than he is tall. The Sevenths were temporarily stunned by the unnatural horde confronting them, but'Vivyan restored a; tnbno- chrome of normality by completing his hatrick. By this time, Owain Bevan had successfully broken the meek resistance offered by our opponents' midfield. The imperious Welsh dynamo- who was sensationally 'tapped up' by Sixth team captain Rich Morrow earlier in the season- stamped his authority on the occasion with a series of blistering tackles. A temporary lapse in concentration enabled the Vets to score a goal that was scarcely deserved. Fittingly, Vivyan had the last words on the matter by adding the final two goals, to cap a superb display of marksmanship. There was even time for a touching moment before the end, with Mike McLeay being introduced upfront. The big Scots made an immediate impact as he successfully turned Owairt's goal bound flick wide. Total football. A morale boosting victory for the Sevenths which may create the momentum needed for the ongoing battle for sur- vival. With a tasty semi-final game against the Sixth team on the cards, the cup may provide the final years with one more crack at the auld enemy. 't\ Australian Open WX' 2 ^M'n ' li J/ Racial cricket 22 Great Debate 30.01.07 I sports@thebeaveronline.co.uk 9. sports LSE don't destroy King's ' !'*i- iisiv ttMlll 'f ^ \M' ; L<1 A0 k Jen "Old Skool" Bush LSEWRFC ^ Strand Poly Berrylands 15 •15 It was far too early on a Sunday morning as the lovely ladies from Women's Rugby huddled at Waterloo for the first strand derby match of the season. As everyone clambered aboard the carriage to fortress Berrylands we were ^ left to once again curse our inability to recruit any fat people, as the King's players rumbled passed, shaking South East Trains to its foundations. Due to staffing issues, the line-up was looking interesting to say the least, with three forwards playing in the back line, but there were smiles on J,- our faces and banter in our hearts as we knelt down to have our studs checked. After a bit of cheeky chat from the ref (Yes, we know that 15 girls kneeling down for you is how you like to spend your Sunday morning, ha ha) and a "don't worry, there's five minutes till kick off, you've got plenty of time to chat", we kicked off. The first fifteen minutes was some of the best rugby I've seen. The first try came after two phases of forward mauling before being flicked right down the back line to put 'Whippet' in to score. Due to the kicking tee staying warm in the changing room. Captain Filth had to do something that not many others would dare and lie at Sarah 'Advent Beast' Higgin's feet and hold the ball. Unfortunately Kim's come to bed face was too much to resist and we settled for the five points. The rest of the first half went by in a bit of a blur. I seemed to stumble from japes to jokes. It's not often that getting mauled by 15 inferior women leads to so much laughs but at times it was like playing against a slap-stick panto. At one point they had managed to secure the ball in a maul and popped it out to a flanker. Opposite number Nas was straight on the game, running at their player whilst trying out our new psychosis approach (she yelled "I'm gonna get you bitch!") which in response to, their player literally fell at her feet. Haplessly, our back line was too busy pissing themselves to take much advantage of the situation. This was about the time that the 'referee' decided to intervene, marching them up toward our line with a number of fictitious penalties. What he wasn't counting on was the guile and cunningness of our forwards. Whilst Juicy Josie was taking people out all over the pitch (offside rule?! I just want to paste them!), Married Megs was pulling an Oscar deserving role. After demonically shoeing the life out of one of their players she switched to angelic innocence when quizzed about it by the referee. A penalty was awarded and Booty Higgins made a good 70 yards from it. A few gorgeous members of the team let out a ^ ^ Yvette was last seen holding on for dear life to a King's player the spitting image of Norma from Shameless 99 whoop of joy as they sprinted, up the pitch to receive. No. Denied. The ref blew it up as apparently a whoop is "unsportsmanlike". I'm sorry? And their player yelling that she's gonna "fuck over that bitch that injured me last time" just before she takes a penalty isn't? It's probably also time to introduce some of the new lovelies that have joined the esteemed team this year. Rachel Warner added some class to the game at fullback by putting in an immense dump tackle and some penetrating runs, Sophie 'Netball defector' De La Hunt was the strength on the other wing, managing to create Women's Rugby history by getting into a 'strong exchange of views' with a girl she used to go to brownies with. Laura Smith was calling the shots at 10 and Ivy LeTourneau was flying high in the line-outs. Heather Hemmingmoore had another great game on the flank, always being there for the pop-off out of a maul. There were also some returning favourites in the form of limping, swearing, privately showering Hannah "Piss in their open wounds" Kinchy, playing at prop and frequently getting out the finger of law for the ref. Yvette was, as ever, looking deceptively cute at 9 and was last seen holding on for dear life to a King's player the spitting image of Norma from Shameless as she waddles up the pitch. Rachel 'Lamp-post' Allchurch was great, as ever, and even brought along her DILF to be our water boy. So, to cut a long rant short, Whippet scored another beautiful try off the wing and Higgins fell over the line for our third. We were very unlucky (robbed!) to finish 15 all but it is a sign that LSE WRFC are not a force to be messed with. Strand Poly have somehow managed to find themselves at the top of the league, a position that they won't hold for long. Plus, in pure LSE spirit, Gullet Warner truly schooled them in the dame-of-the-game pint race. Simon: 'Vail it the 'Small Section'." I.i^ m m